


The Thirty Year Pin

by von_gelmini



Series: Starker Bingo 2019 [5]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Agents of SHIELD, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Amputee Tony Stark, Anal Sex, Basically Just Borrowing Fitz and Jeri Hogarth, Body Horror, Brief Description of Very Underage Peer School Sexual Experimentation Implied, Custody Battle, Divorce, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Drugged Sex, Dub-Con implied by Drug Use, Extremely Graphic Depiction of IV Drug Use, Graphic Medical Discussions, Homophobia, Howard Stark was a Homophobic Asshole, Hurt/Comfort, Ignoring SO MUCH AoS Canon, M/M, NOT Post Spider-Man: Far From Home End-Credits Scene, Netflix Marvel - Freeform, Not Captain Marvel Compliant, Oral Sex, Past Underage between Tony Stark/James Rhodes, Pepper Pots is the Bad Guy, Peter Parker is the legal age of consent in New York state, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Far From Home, Post-Spider-Man: Far From Home Mid-Credits Scene, Spanking, Tony Stark is an addict, Versatile Peter Parker, Versatile Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-01 08:10:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 65,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20254966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/von_gelmini/pseuds/von_gelmini
Summary: “Thirty years sober was a good run.  Well… not on drugs anyway. Sober? A man’s gotta have some sins, right?”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There are a lot of tags up there. Some may be triggering. Please take note and keep yourself safe.
> 
> This is a StarkerBingo2019 fill for the prompt: Barebacking.  
Said event will happen in a later chapter, but it has significance.
> 
> The fic is 99% finished. The beginning, middle, and end are done, there's only one scene left to write.
> 
> My first moodboard, so please be gentle.

* * *

Tony had decades of distance from his wild, drug filled days. He even had a few years free from his overindulgence with alcohol. But then the snap happened and he nearly lost all of his sobriety when he lost Peter. He hadn’t felt the pull so hard in ages. The phone number wasn’t in his phone anymore. Besides, his old dealer was in Boston. But Tony knew that probably within ten minutes and no more than five calls, he could be welcoming the old sweet comfort of oblivion. 

Then, just in time to save him from himself, Pepper agreed to marry him. She was familiar and they could fall into a comfortable routine just like they had before she broke it off. There was a time when he actually wanted to marry her, but now, it was just to keep his tenuous hold on reality.

He should’ve known that marriage couldn’t save him for long and he wondered, purely as a thought exercise mind you, if he could get the number of calls it would take down to three and five minutes.

Then, like a miracle, Pepper was pregnant. Even though Tony’s heart was broken, he could make a life out of this. A kid. Who would’ve thought?

Morgan was born and she became a permanent lifeline. She was the joy he never thought he’d have. He wasn’t even a little bit tempted to the numbness from the moment he saw her. He couldn’t put that precious jewel through the hell of seeing her father fall into addiction like he went through with Howard’s alcoholism and amphetamines. 

He could’ve kept going like that for years. Just the occasional tiny little twinge to fall from grace when he remembered what he lost. A love just barely spoken, only once consummated, but all consuming. The first love Tony had ever felt. Not even Pepper, at her best, made him feel that. He was fond of Pepper. She was the mother of his precious child. But he never loved her. His heart was still hopelessly owned by the boy he lost. Time heals, right?

Then that selfish bastard Steve Rogers came back and gave him hope. He was certain he wouldn’t be able to do it. It was impossible. But Lang said there was a way. It was a puzzle and Tony couldn’t ignore it. He’d never solve it though. There was no such thing as time travel. Of course, Tony being the genius that he was, did it. Like creating an element that hadn’t been there before, he changed what everyone thought were the laws of physics. He actually cracked time travel. 

Even so, there was no guarantee they’d be able to get the stones. And no guarantee that the stones would bring Peter back. Without that, it wasn’t worth it. He could ignore it and convince himself it wouldn’t work. He could keep making a life with Pepper and Morgan. He did love one of them. He wouldn’t do anything that risked Morgan never existing.

But that night he dreamt. Muscular legs wrapped around his waist. Sweat-soaked chestnut curls tangled in his fingers. A body sliding against his — hard not soft, strong not weak, and utterly, totally his. As he came in the boy (on the sheets of his marriage bed) he dreamt that he could hear Peter’s soft after-glow whisper, “Come find me, Tony.”

He headed over to Avengers headquarters and went to work.

And everything happened. 

Peter was back. Tony hugged his boy, kissed his cheek, and he knew that nothing would ever be the same. He held Peter tightly and just like that, had a second chance. Then Stephen Strange held up that one cursed finger. Tony did what he had to do. Men like him don’t get second chances. It was enough to know that Peter was alive. He’d be okay. He’d move on. Peter would have the second chance that Tony was giving up.

Peter was trying to tell him that they won. Trying to hold onto him. Pepper pulled the boy away and if Tony could cry, he would. He listened to her telling him to rest. All he wanted to do was find Peter, but his vision was narrowing and he couldn’t see the person he risked everything for. Then everything was black.

And then it wasn’t. Everything was pain instead. He saw a nurse with a needle out of the corner of his eye. He tried to object — but his voice didn’t work and he couldn’t move. With a simple injection into his IV, all the pain disappeared.

He remembered drifting in and out. Sometimes it was bright outside the windows. Sometimes it was dark. Days passed as he was blissfully floating on a drug induced haze. Then one of the times he was awake, he heard Rhodey arguing loudly with Pepper outside the window to his room. He’d never heard his friend raise his voice to her before. The man had lost his cool military professionalism and was ripping his wife a new one. Then his world blurred and softened again. The only thing in his vision was a smiling nurse.

They were fighting again outside his room’s window. The door to his room was opened a crack and he could hear.

“This is different. The counselor assures me that under these circumstances, there isn’t any risk.” Pepper was calm but firm. “He’s in pain. The doctors are doing what they think is best.”

Rhodey’s voice was anything _ but _ calm. “You have no idea what you’re doing!” He turned to the stodgy man standing behind Pepper. “And you. You’re a quack and an imbecile.”

“That’ll be all, Colonel Rhodes. With all respect, I am Tony’s family. You’re care is no longer required.” 

Tony tried to sit up, to yell loud enough that they could hear him. But his brain was wrapped in cotton wool and when he tried to move, it was like shards of glass were hiding in the soft padding, shredding every inch of his skin. He struggled to keep conscious. He saw Pepper motion somewhere past where Rhodey stood. Two hospital security guards stood on either side of him. Tony wanted to cry when he saw his friend back down and walk away.

Everyone knew Tony was a drunk. A more famous functioning alcoholic, would be hard to find. But no one knew about the drugs. Those were over long before he met Pepper. Only Rhodey knew. It was Rhodey who’d saved him from overdoses and self-destruction more times than the two of them could count. Rhodey who helped him hide everything from Howard and took Tony on a ‘trip to Europe’, which was code for ‘fancy Swiss rehab clinic’. And it was Rhodey who did it all over again twice more before Tony finished his first master’s degree. It was Rhodey who was there to scrape up off a filthy nightclub floor what was left of him two years after his mom died. Only Rhodey cared enough to fight for him when he had given up. He was there every step of the way until Tony finally got his head out of his ass and stopped fighting the process.

And Rhodey just walked away from him.

The nurse wiped tears from his eyes. “Pain bad today, Mister Stark?” she asked. 

If Rhodey wasn’t fighting for him anymore, why was he fighting? Tony nodded at the nurse’s question. There was something to be said for mainlining without having to go through the muss and fuss.

A week later, Tony found his voice. It was raw and didn’t sound like him, but he was able to ask for things. Like more morphine. He hammed up the amount of pain he was in — not that it took much hamming because his ‘scale of 1-10’ hovered somewhere near 900. They gave him enough to kill the pain, but if he wanted oblivion, it took a bit of play acting. And oblivion was awfully nice. Oblivion kept him from thinking about what he must look like. It kept him from wanting to scratch that spot on his right wrist that he wasn’t sure was even there anymore. It kept him from having to talk to Pepper or look at her. It kept him from realizing that he was alone.

Four days after that, Tony was reliving the fight that Pepper and Rhodey had. He tried to shake the haze. He was awake. It was dark outside now and when Rhodey walked out on him, it had been daylight. This wasn’t a memory, this was now.

“Rhodey. Rhodes!” He sputtered and choked when he raised his voice. It wasn’t enough to be heard through the glass. Tony kicked his feet as hard as he could and slid off the bed. He clattered to the floor, knocking into monitors and dragging the IV pump down to the ground after him.

Rhodey burst through the door and knelt down beside him.

Tony grinned, eyes unfocused, voice slurred. “You came back for me.”

“Always Tone. Let’s get you back into the bed.”

“Love ya, honeybear.” He draped his arm around Rhodey’s shoulder.

“Yeah yeah, all right.” Rhodey put him back in the bed.

Doctor Cho ran in, pushing Pepper out of the doorway, pushing Rhodey away from the bed. Two assistants helped her situate Tony and check his bandages.

“That’s enough excitement from you two!” she chided harshly. She nodded and a nurse came in with the injection ready. 

Rhodey grabbed her wrist. “Tony’s a drug addict.”

“He is not!” Pepper argued.

“Yes he is,” Rhodes insisted. “He hasn’t used since he was 23, but he was a drug addict from the time he was fifteen until then.”

Helen looked at Pepper, then to Rhodes. “Is this true?”

“He’s a drunk but Tony’s never messed with drugs.”

“Because he’s a fucking addict!”

Tony grinned. The expression looked totally unlike himself. “Yep,” he said, popping his P. “Rhodey took care of me when I took too much. The first time… it was one of those biiiiig needles. What a rush. But then he got the Narcan. That wasn’t any fun. You’re no fun, sourpatch. Let the pretty nurse through.”

“Why wasn’t this in his chart?”

“I… I didn’t know,” Pepper said, defensively.

“I told you last week. I would’ve told you sooner, but you wouldn’t let anyone in,” Rhodey said, angrily. 

“I’m his family now. Not you and Happy and the Avengers. He needed rest, not visitors traipsing in at all hours.”

“I’m sorry Mister Stark,” Helen said, waving the nurse away. “We didn’t know.”

“Honeybear knew. I knew. Y’coulda asked,” he said, glowering at Pepper.

“You should’ve told me,” Pepper accused.

“You didn’t want to know. You don’t know _ anything _about me.”

Pepper sputtered, “You don’t talk!”

“Enough. Everyone out,” Doctor Cho said. “Thank you, Colonel Rhodes. We’ll handle it from here. No more narcotics.”

“You sure?” Tony asked, after everyone left. “Doesn’t matter anyway. Look at me.”

“I’m sure you don’t mean that,” Helen said. “We’ll titrate you down and we use other methods of pain management.”

Tony sighed. “Thirty years sober was a good run. Well… not on drugs anyway. Sober? A man’s gotta have some sins, right?”

It didn’t take long for the pain to get excruciating. By that night he was delirious, even though he was still receiving _ some _ morphine. 

While Tony had been under the influence, they’d done much of the most painful work, debriding the burns on his face and his side. Both were kept bandaged. He wasn’t allowed to see the damage, even when the bandages were being changed. That almost made it worse. It let Tony’s imagination run wild. He couldn’t tell what was being done, only that it either hurt to the point where he was screaming or it felt numb and weird. With no way to see what was actually being done, his mind provided all horrifying images Tony needed.

“You’re gonna use your cradle, right?” he asked Doctor Cho, after the bandages had been tightly wound around him again.

“Yes. But before we do that, there’s still damaged tissue that needs to be removed and there’s internal injuries which aren’t healing. I’m afraid your drinking days are over, Mister Stark. We’re waiting on a tissue match for a partial liver transplant and it looks like you’re going to be down to one kidney. Doctor Banner and I developed a new serum to try and stimulate healing of the more complicated inner organs instead of just skin and bone, but it hasn’t worked,” she said, apologetically. “Plus, the damage done by the Infinity Stones was unlike normal injuries. There is… a magical component to it.” She shook her head in disbelief that magic was real.

Tony tried to wrap his head around what he was hearing. He felt panic rising like he hadn’t known since he woke in a cave attached to a car battery with a giant hole in his chest. “Stephen… Strange,” he said, gulping for air.

“You don’t remember because you were on pain meds, but Doctor Strange _ did _consult. If he hadn’t, I’m not sure you’d be here, Mister Stark.”

Tony couldn’t catch his breath. “Oh,” he whispered. His vision started tunneling.

Doctor Cho handed him a cup of water and a capsule. “Take this. Don’t worry, everything we give you now is with your history taken into consideration.”

It took Tony three attempts to swallow the pill. He tried to reach around himself with his remaining arm to feel his bandages.

Doctor Cho took his hand in hers and shook her head. “Not yet,” she said, solicitously. 

“The arm’s gone though, right?”

“Yes.”

“I feel it sometimes. Burning. Itching.”

“Phantom pain. That’s typical at this stage. But please keep your hand away from the bandages. In order to keep your wounds viable for the cradle, we’ve had to keep them open.”

“Huh.”

“The good news is…”

Tony barked a sour laugh. “There’s _ good _ news?”

“Yes. The… esoteric… damage isn’t progressing. Doctor Strange stopped it the last time he was here. Once your wounds are stabilized, and the morphine is out of your system, we can start with the cradle. So in a week, we can begin healing you.”

“Oh, that’s so good to hear, Tony,” Pepper said brightly, coming in from her morning meetings. 

“Can you please? I’m talking to my doctor,” Tony snapped. 

Helen went over to Pepper. “Ms. Potts,” she said, “Mood swings are normal during withdrawals. We’re just finishing up,” Helen said. “Tony, that pill might start making you a little drowsy. Like an over the counter cold medicine does, nothing more.”

“God Pep. Could you just… Not today, huh? You heard Helen. I’m going to be sleeping. Go home. Take care of Morgan.”

Withdrawals in a hospital under a doctor’s care at least meant he didn’t have to go through dope sickness. Just the seemingly endless cravings for that nurse and her needle to come back. It wasn’t like he remembered from before. It was a minor annoyance. It was polite. It was civilized. There were no cold sweats. No shaking. No losing his mind for hours, unable to remember what class was about, yet still, despite everything, being able to write up the answers to the questions. 

The spiral of worthlessness — that was the same now as it was then. Swirling around the drain trying not to fall in. Yet knowing flushed away was exactly where he belonged. Hearing voices, like a Greek chorus, of critical auditory hallucinations. Usually they were just out of earshot, a low hum like at a cocktail party, so that his own mind would fill in the accusations. He was so much better at that than the chorus. They were only guessing, whereas Tony knew all of his flaws and failures. And the only way the noise in his head would shut the fuck up was another shot. Which now, wasn’t coming.

After the week, Tony didn’t have physical withdrawals to blame for his irritability. That didn’t mean he was in any better of a mood. He was having difficulty adjusting to non-narcotic pain management that seemed to leave his every nerve screaming. Even in pain though, he was increasingly annoyed with his confinement and isolation. 

He took his irritation out on whoever was within reach. Either a nurse, or more likely, Pepper. She’d set up an office in his room and only left for the few hours that corresponded to their former dinner-to-Morgan’s-bedtime routine. He was tired of her put-on cheerfulness. Tired of her guilt. Tired of being expected to assuage it. Tired of having to pretend that everything was all right. Tired of his own false-cheerfulness when all he wanted to do was scream. And he was tired of having no one to talk to except her. There were really only two things Tony used to do — work, which he couldn’t, and socialize, which he also couldn’t.

He knew he shouldn’t sulk, but that’s all he did. He didn’t want to talk to her. He didn’t want her there. When she refused to bring him his phone or a computer, his attitude went from sulking to surly. Finally, to get what he wanted, he tried being sweet. It was disgustingly fake sweet, but it wasn’t like Pepper could tell the difference. Even she fell for his charm when he turned it on thick. He used to believe that she saw through his false face. Now he wondered if she ever had. Or was she just another employee who did what he told her to do, including letting him convince her that he loved her when he didn’t.

“Look,” he smiled, forcing his voice light, “if you bring my phone, I can facetime Morgan. Keep the camera on my good side. Make sure everything bad is covered by blankets. I know that you tell her I’m fine, but she’s gotta be worried, huh? Is she sleeping?”

“It’s been rough,” Pepper admitted.

“If she’s not sleeping, you aren’t sleeping either. So bring my phone and let me tell her good night.”

When Pepper returned after her dinner break, she had his phone. She hadn’t put Morgan to bed before she left the house, leaving it to the nanny and Tony’s call.

It perked Tony’s spirits up immensely just seeing Morgan’s face on the little screen. He kept a window open at the bottom so he could make sure to keep only his left side showing. Morgan was so happy to see her daddy that she ran a mile a minute telling him things. Finally, Pepper put an end to the call, saying that her daddy, and her, needed to sleep. A few ‘this is the last one I promise!’ kisses from Morgan, Tony rang off. 

Pepper gathered her things from her temporary office and Tony slipped his phone underneath his ass. As he’d hoped, she was too tired to notice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be ugly. 
> 
> He didn’t realize how ugly until he turned on the morning news. Reporters discovered the divorce filing in Nevada. The business networks learned of the war within SI. The gossip mavens were full of speculation about for whom Tony had thrown over his wife. Including one or two that whispered it was another man, having dug up old flings and an old sex tape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to mind the tags. There isn't any triggering content (wrt drugs) in this chapter though.

“Peter?”

“Mister Stark?” A surprised voice squeaked on the other end of the line. 

“Hey, I thought we’d gotten past all that before.” 

“I… I wasn’t sure you’d remember,” Peter said sadly.

“Sweetheart, I could no more forget you than the world. I invented time travel just to bring you back, baby. Cracked the laws of physics for you. I remember.”

Peter began crying. 

“It’s okay Petey. I’m alive. Doctor Cho’s working major miracles. Even so…” Tony paused. “She’s can’t to grow me a new arm.”

“You can build one, right? Like Sergeant Barnes’?”

“Ugh. No. Nothing like that. A million times better. But I’m not going to be the man I was before. It’s…” Tony swallowed. “There was a lot of damage.”

“Tony, I don’t care. I’d love you if you were a brain in a box.”

“Baby, you deserve so much more than you get with me. Even with the me I was before all this.”

“Yeah, but it’s you I want, Tony. You have to do what the doctors say so you can get better. I miss you.” Peter paused. “Do ya miss me?”

“Like the deserts miss the rain, baby boy. Come see me?”

“I tried, Tony. Ms. Potts…” Peter’s voice broke. “She’s your family now.”

“Baby, baby,” Tony said soothingly. “You were gone. I thought forever. I was dangling over a dark edge and Pepper… she was a lifeline. That’s all. Sweetheart, I’m not in love with her. I wasn’t ever in love with her, not even before. She’s just…” Tony sighed. “She was there.”

Reluctantly, Peter agreed. “But you have a kid now, Tony.”

“Yeah, and I’ll still have a kid whatever happens between me and Pepper.” Tony paused. “Morgan’s great, Peter. Smart as a whip. Like me. Like you. She’s not even five and she can read. Not baby books either. She sneaks down into my workshop and she  _ tinkers _ .”

Peter laughed. “She looks exactly like you.”

“You’ve met her?”

“Babysat a few times when the nanny had the day off. It was nice because I imagined you were like that at her age.”

“Oh no. She’s got a sweetness I never had.”

“Bullshit, Tony. You’re sweet as fuckin’ candy,” Peter laughed.

“Only for you, dollface.” Tony paused. “I know we’d just gotten started but…”

“Oh Tony. I’ve been in love with you since the very beginning.”

Tony laughed. “Yeah. I was a goner for you too. That’s why I was so overprotective.”

“I know.” 

“What I mean is,” Tony asked, “do you still want this? And what kind of  _ this _ is it you want?”

“More like what kind can I have. You’re married.”

“That can be changed. There’s only one person I used to imagine being married to. That wasn’t possible after Titan. Now it is.” Tony paused. “If you think you might want something like that eventually…” He sighed deeply. “Oh hell. Peter, you’re so much better off without me. Forget it.”

“Yes, Tony.”

“I know you are. So let’s just forget this and mark it up to the…”

“Yes, Tony,” Peter said again, more pointedly.

“Wait. What?”

“If you’ll actually ask me properly, that is,” Peter said laughing.

“Wha…” Tony blinked. “Um… Peter Parker, will you marry me? I mean, once I’m divorced. Once all the king’s horses have put what’s left of me back together again.”

“Yes.” Peter was grinning. “Yes yes yes and will you finally listen to me, yes. I love you.”

“Oh baby, I love you too. God Peter, I never let myself dream I’d get you back.”

“And I never let myself dream you wouldn’t.”

“Well, technically Banner and Strange brought you back.”

“They couldn't have done it without you.”

His door opened. Doctor Cho and her assistant frowned at seeing him talking on the phone. “Baby, I think the doctors are mad at me.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you later. I love you,” Peter said, hanging up the phone.

“No phone calls,” Doctor Cho chided, reaching for the phone.

Tony snatched his arm away and hid the phone underneath himself before she could reach it. “No. You’re not taking it and you’re not telling anyone about it either.”

Helen looked at him, narrow eyed. “All right. But limited use. Extremely limited. No getting worked up.”

“Agreed.”

They discussed his case for a few minutes. He was scheduled for the first treatment in her cradle starting the next afternoon. They would begin to repair the damage to his side first. Then, once they found a liver, the machine would help the transplant take. The arm would take many more sessions than it normally would because they were planning to salvage as much as they could of what was there. To try reconstructing the nerves and muscle so that he could design a prosthesis. She was certain that with his ability with tech, whatever he designed would be leaps and bounds above what was currently available. Only after all that was done would she work cosmetically on the scarred skin from the burns and magic.

He knew that the cradle worked miracles, but knowing didn't stop him from conjuring up nightmare images from bad movies. Tony tried to run the grounding exercises he’d learned when he finally went to see someone about his anxiety attacks over the wormhole. He knew his injuries were bad. But hearing the description of the treatments he would have to undergo brought back the Afghanistan panic. Helen had to give him a tablet to stop it again. 

He knew he shouldn’t be dragging Peter into this. But he’d literally moved heaven and earth to get the boy back. And Peter said yes. He wanted to be with Tony, whatever might be left of him. Tony knew that a boy as young as Peter didn’t know what he wanted, but he couldn’t let him go even though he should.

A nurse came in with Tony’s night meds, all non-narcotic. He fought sleep as long as he could. Even one handed, his fingers flew across the keypad of his phone. He sent texts to people Pepper didn’t know. No one with any decent kind of ethics because what he wanted to do was far from ethical. He was divorcing a good woman who only had the misfortune of not being the person he was in love with. 

Tony owned properties all over the world, including an old condo he inherited from Howard, that happened to be in Las Vegas. That counted as his residency in Nevada. He found a lawyer there who specialized in quick divorces. The man could have the papers filed by morning. The proceedings took between one and six months, depending on how much Pepper fought. It was still too long, Tony thought, but far shorter than in New York state. 

Naively, he imagined she wouldn’t put up much of a fight. He was wrong. Pepper stormed into his room the next morning, waving the papers, tossing them on the bed.

“What the  _ fuck _ , Tony!”

“I want a divorce. I thought that would be obvious,” he said.

“Why? Why now? What’s going on? Is this some noble self sacrifice because of all this?” She waved an arm, taking in the room. 

“No.”

“You know this doesn’t matter to me.” She came closer and sat on the edge of the bed. “I love you.”

“No you don’t. Pepper. Neither of us are in love with each other. C’mon, you know that.”

“What?” Shock and hurt was all over her face.

“It was convenient. Comforting,  _ after _ . That’s all.”

“No, Tony. That’s not all it was. Not for me. We have a family!”

“And we still will. I’m filing for full joint custody. Morgan will still have a mommy and a daddy. I don’t want to do anything to hurt her.”

“Don’t you think breaking up her home will hurt her?”

“Don’t you think her parents staying together when they don’t love each other will hurt her? I know that particular pain all too well. Staying together for the sake of a child isn’t good.”

“Tony, I don’t know where you got this idea that I don’t love you.”

Tony sighed. “I was hoping you didn’t.”

“Why on earth would you hope that?”

“Because…” Tony sighed again and swallowed deeply. “I’m not in love with you.”

Pepper sat back, upright and rigid. “Oh,” she said, softly.

“I thought… I thought I could make myself be. It’s been good. Okay, maybe not good, but not bad. And there’s Morgan. She’s the best thing in the world. She gave me a reason to live after I’d lost… everything. There was no point to being alive anymore. But then she came along.” Tony paused. “It wasn’t like I was going to get him back.”

“Him? Him who? Tony, you never mentioned having a relationship with anyone else. I mean, yeah, you fucked around, but never a relationship. Who?”

“He was gone. What was the point of mentioning it? But now, everyone we lost is back. I’m sorry, Pepper. I really am.”

“So you’re dumping me over one of your,” she screwed up her face in disgust, “boy toys?” 

Pepper had long been aware of Tony’s activities. She’d had to run interference every time one of his male flings threatened to expose or sue him. The girls he picked up had the good sense not to make a fuss when Tony dumped them. The boys rarely did. They were very aware of Tony’s reputation as a womanizer and how much the knowledge that it wasn’t just women he played with would hurt his company’s reputation. But she thought he’d given up the childish nonsense when he became Iron Man.

“It’s not like that,” Tony said. “I never thought any of this would work. Time travel. The reverse snap.” Tony shook his head. “He was gone.”

“So you are throwing everything we have away… tearing up Morgan’s life…” She shook her head in disbelief. “Who is it?” she asked again.

He ignored her question. “This doesn’t have to be difficult.”

“No? No? You expect me to just smile and roll over like I always do?”

“Pep, I didn’t plan this. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Well, as always, you did.” She stood and gathered up the divorce papers. “My lawyers will contact your lawyers. It will be in New York, not some quicky Vegas thing.”

Tony shrugged. “We’ll see. I don’t  _ want  _ to fight you, but this is happening.”

Pepper didn’t waste any time. By afternoon, things were getting messy. But then, Doctor Cho came and Tony didn’t have time to fight. He had an appointment in the cradle. Afterwards, when he came back to his room, he noticed that the office Pepper set up was gone. Tony felt like death warmed over, but he reached for his phone anyway, over the doctor’s objections. The screen was filled with notifications.

First, he rang for the nurse and told her he wanted all of his care team in his room immediately. Once Helen and the rest of them arrived, Tony informed them that Ms. Potts would no longer be in control of his care, he would be. And if he wasn’t able to be, then Colonel Rhodes was his next of kin. 

“Now, I need to be awake and coherent for at least four more hours. Then, I promise, I’ll sleep. One other thing. Put Happy on my visitors list in addition to Rhodey. Peter Parker too. Now… get me access to FRIDAY.” He waved away any objections and stood his ground. 

He hadn’t planned on fighting Pepper. But when he went to access his company account, he found the account frozen. He had no choice after that. Tony had private accounts not tied to SI, there were properties in his name alone, and tangible assets hidden in vaults, all of which were protected by an airtight prenup. But if Pepper was going to have the full weight of SI behind her, he might need more than that. He had to keep control of his company.

He was the man who had saved the world. Lines of credit were volunteered by several banks. Venture capital for new inventions was had with scarcely an idea of what those inventions might be. Most importantly, it was remarkably easy for him to start a proxy war within Stark Industries. The last thing he wanted to do was go back to being CEO of SI, but the gauntlet had been thrown.

After a cheerful call to Peter, telling him he was able to visit him whenever he wanted, the nurse came in, tapping her watch and mouthing ‘four hours’. Tony still had so much to do, but he was faltering so he didn’t resist.

This was going to be ugly. 

He didn’t realize how ugly until he turned on the morning news. Reporters discovered the divorce filing in Nevada. The business networks learned of the war within SI. The gossip mavens were full of speculation about for whom Tony had thrown over his wife. Including one or two that whispered it was another man, having dug up old flings and an old sex tape.

Another six hours were spent in the cradle. Doctor Cho apologized repeatedly for how long she had to keep Tony conscious during it, especially since he was unable to be properly medicated. Tony endured more pain than he’d ever felt before. When they wheeled him back to his room, he was wrung out like an old dish rag, pale, gaunt, and shaking. He opened his eyes to get back into bed and despite all that, he smiled.

“Peter.” Tony fell into the bed, floundering as he reached to balance himself with an arm that wasn’t there anymore. “Whoops… I’m sorry.”

Peter scrambled up and caught Tony’s dead weight easily in his unnaturally strong arms. He helped him into the bed and covered him with blankets. “It’s okay,” he said softly, over and over again.

Tony reached out for Peter’s hand when the boy tried to go back to his chair. “Sit with me?”

Peter sat on the edge of the bed. “Of course. How are you doing?”

“Better, now that you’re here. Not gonna lie though, it was a rough one today.”

“Should I call the nurse for something for the pain?” Peter asked.

Tony shook his head. “I can’t have it.”

“Why? Jeez, Tony, they should be giving you something.”   
  
“No, they shouldn’t.” He stroked Peter’s hand with his thumb. “I’m a drug addict.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, you’re getting the whole fucked up package with me, baby. Before Afghanistan, I used to drink hard. I can regulate now; I learned to have two drinks not two dozen, and I stay away from anything but alcohol. Only, before that, when I was a lot younger, I didn’t just used to drink. There was already one mistake with my meds here. The first couple of weeks. No one knew about me being an addict except Rhodey, and Pepper was keeping him away. They had me high as a kite. So now, it’s nothing more than Tylenol and ibuprofen.”

“Oh Tony, I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

“Yeah,” Tony smiled. “Distract me. Give me a kiss.”

Peter happily obliged until they were breathless. 

Tony fell back onto his pillows. “I thought I’d never feel your lips again,” he said, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Peter stretched himself out in the narrow space between Tony and the bed railing. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah,” Tony said, trying to hide the wince that came when he scooted himself over, making more room for Peter.

“Oh god. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Shh. It’s okay.”

“I just  _ had  _ to hold you. I shouldn’t have.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Doctor Cho said when she came into the room. “Mister Stark needs to rest. In his bed. Alone. Too much movement can pull the new tissue.”

Peter carefully got out of Tony’s bed.

Helen looked Peter up and down. “You are the new boyfriend?”

“Yes,” Peter said.

Tony reached for his phone, which he had programmed as the TV remote, and clicked the screen on.

The doctor took it from him and clicked it off. “You don’t want to watch that. I can’t work with you if your blood pressure is too high.”

“It’s that bad?” Tony asked. Peter buried his face in his hands, but Tony could see his red-tipped ears. “Okay, but did they keep your name out of it?”

Peter nodded.

“Good.”

“I didn’t want to cause all this trouble,” Peter said quietly.

“You didn’t, baby,” Tony reassured him, as the doctor fiddled with his bandages. “She caused the trouble. I just wanted a simple divorce. 50/50 split of the joint assets. No contesting the prenup. Joint custody. No troubles. Instead, I woke up to that,” he waved his hand at the TV.

“I came back and ruined your life.”

“You came back and made my life worth living again, baby boy.”

“God, do we have to talk in front of…”

“I work for Mister Stark, no one else since the separation has removed Ms. Potts from his kinship list,” Doctor Cho said. “That includes a full NDA and doctor/patient confidentiality,” She reached her hand out to Peter. “We haven’t met. Helen Cho.”

Peter shook her hand. “Peter Parker.”

“Ah, Spider-Man,” she said smiling. “I’d love to get a blood sample.”

“Does everybody know?” 

“I’m the head of the Avengers medical department as well as working for SHIELD. I know all the Enhanced Individuals in both programs. Including their ‘secret identities’. It was necessary to have proper medical records, should you become injured on one of your missions.”

Peter nodded his head to the side. “That makes sense. Sorry.”

“That’s okay, Mister Parker.” She turned back to Tony. “We’re going to postpone tomorrow’s session to give the bone grafts time to attach. No cradle for two days. But everything is looking good. Beyond expectations, actually. The six months I spent in Wakanda last year was a huge leap forward in my research.”

Tony heaved a bigger sigh of relief than he’d intended. “A reprieve.”

“Yes. But take it easy. No stress and no one in your bed. Keep it in your pants, Stark.”

Tony laughed and Peter blushed. “Okay, okay. No sex. But I am ordering a double hospital bed.”

“Mister Parker, since you seem to be the adult of the relationship, the reason I don’t want you sharing a bed is for medical not moral reasons. Aside from needing his rest, you should know that three of his ribs are missing. There is very little beyond the biomechanical webbing holding his right side together. Any pressure could damage it. He won’t tell you how bad it is, but it’s far more than simply a missing arm.” She shot Tony a glowering look.

Peter blanched at the description of what was — or wasn’t — underneath Tony’s bandages. “What about a cot pulled in by the side of the bed he has now?” he suggested.

Doctor Cho smiled. “I knew one of you was a grown up. Yes. That would be a much better solution. It might help him sleep through the night.”

“You’re giving all my secrets away,” Tony objected.

“You can have four hours, same as last night, to see to your business. Then bed.”

“Yes ma’am,” Peter answered for Tony. “I’ll make sure of that.”

Tony arched an eyebrow at the boy. “You have school tomorrow.”

“Yeah, no.”

“Peter…”

“Tony…” Peter countered.

Tony sighed in resignation. “FRIDAY, set up online correspondence for Peter to do his classwork. Get him out of this high school bullshit — that he’s far too advanced for — as soon as possible.” He turned to Peter. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah. I can do the work while you’re receiving your treatments.”

“What I mean is, are you going to be sad at missing the high school stuff, senior prom and whatever? I don’t know. I went to boarding school and then…” Tony shrugged. “I had my BS from MIT by the time I was your age. I don’t know what normal kids do.”

“Nah, Tony, you’re right. I didn’t have any way to do it faster before. I needed a scholarship if I was going to college, and I guess now I don’t.”

“I just don’t want to run roughshod over your life, okay? You tell me if I’m doing that.”

“I will. I promise.”

“Knew I could count on you, kid. Now, I do need some time to handle this shit,” he said, waving his phone. “So if you could, I dunno, take your homework out there?”

Peter nodded. He really didn’t want to listen to the things that were going on between Tony and Ms. Potts. He gathered his backpack and headed for the waiting area near the nurses’ station.

“FRIDAY, left single handed keyboard and triple display.” The AI brought up the keyboard as a display of light on the rolling bed table. Three holo-displays curved around the head of his bed. “Okay, First, fire off this peace offering. Make sure it goes directly to Ms. Potts, wherever she is. You don’t have to tell me where she is, just make sure she gets it personally and not her lawyers.”

“Yes boss. You have emails from your Nevada attorneys, and from Jeri Hogarth.”

“Read, analyze, and reply to the first, as for the second, get me Ms. Hogarth on a secure line.” He waited. “Jeri. Good to hear from you. You’re taking my case, right? She didn’t get to you first?” The woman’s wry laugh echoed through the room. “Didn’t think so.”

“So, a messy divorce. What do you want out of it?” Ms. Hogarth asked.

“I want to be reasonable.” Jeri laughed again. Tony insisted. “I mean it. I want the nasty stuff as an absolute last resort. Ace up my sleeve, never to be pulled. You resolve this nicely and I’ll triple your fee. I want joint custody of Morgan. That’s the most important thing. As for the money, I’m more than happy to give her half of our joint assets. If she’s willing to be reasonable, I don’t see any reason she can’t continue on as CEO of SI. The proxy war can be over the minute she signs the papers.”

“What about the PR mess, Tony?” Jeri asked. “You’re getting raked over the coals and I’ll bet dollars to donuts she’s behind it.”

“I don’t give a fuck about that. I just want to keep my boyfriend’s name out of the press. She finds out about that and drags him through the mud, all the gloves are off.”

“And his name?”

Tony hesitated.

“Tony, if you don’t tell me, how can I handle it? There are no secrets from your priest or your lawyer.”

“Peter Parker. Details in your inbox now.”

“Shit.” 

“From what I understand, seventeen is the age of consent in New York? He’s seventeen,” Tony said.

“Yes. When did your relationship begin?” she asked, pointedly.

“Before that,” Tony admitted.

“How  _ long _ before that?”

“He was sixteen. We met when he was fifteen, but nothing happened until he was sixteen. Two months from turning seventeen.” He paused again. “I understand you’ve had some experience with what they call Enhanced Individuals?”

“Yes, both criminally and civilly,” she answered.

“He’s an EI, but his identity is a secret. That, even more than the fact that he’s my lover, can  _ not _ come out.”

“Accords issues? I’m afraid the firm’s not qualified to litigate before the UN or the World Security Council.”

“I can handle that part. It’s more for the safety of his family,” Tony explained.

“That shouldn’t be a problem unless Ms. Potts makes it one. Does she know?”

“I don’t think so. She could have known if she bothered to look before I locked her out of the Avengers servers last night, but she never took much of an interest in my Avenging.”

“Tony, I know you want to think the best of her and you want this to be an amicable split, but that might not be possible. I need to know if you can take the gloves off when you have to. Otherwise I won’t take the case. I won’t fight with one hand tied behind my back.”

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Only as a last resort, Jeri. I have Morgan to think about. I don’t want to drag her mommy through the muck.”

“But if she slings the muck first?”

“Only if it’s undeniable that she flung the monkey poo. Then you can let yourself go.”

“I don’t come cheap. From what I saw on CNBC this morning, this might be an issue.”

“It won’t be. Even without SI, I’m still a billionaire. Just barely, but I still have those ten figures. I can pay.”

“I’d like to hire a specialist PR firm,” she added.

“Do it. Look, I’m still in the hospital. The doctors only give me a few hours a night to get business done, so you’re going to have to be self-directed. I can’t micromanage.”

“Okay. How do you feel about going public with your relationship with Mister Parker? If we could get out ahead of it, paint it as not having been a sexual relationship before he turned seventeen. But time is of the essence here. The rumors are flying and if it gets out that you two were involved while he was underage, there’s no coming back from that.”

“I’ll talk to him tonight and text you in the morning, one way or the other.”

“Make the case, Tony. Right now, you’re PR gold. The man who saved the world. It’s not going to get better than that, only worse. The press is digging for dirt and they  _ will  _ find it.”

“Okay, okay. Gotta go. More calls to make.”

Tony finished with the rest of the calls. Corporate lawyers, investment bankers, favorite reporters who had given him good press in the past. He begged the nurse for fifteen more minutes when she came in, and told her to send Peter back into the room.

“Hey babe, c’mere.” Tony held his arm wide for Peter to give him a kiss. The boy gingerly bent over and placed a brief, chaste kiss to his lips. Less than Tony wanted, but more than he’d dared hope for just a day ago. “Gotta talk,” 

Peter dragged the chair over to the side of Tony’s bed where his arm was. Tony laid out Jeri’s idea for them to come out as a couple.

“I’m gonna be a homewrecker,” Peter moaned. “And that’s the  _ best _ thing they’re going to say about me.”

“They’ll say worse about me. Especially if it comes out that we started this before the snap. Certain words beginning with the letter P come to mind. Pervert. Predator. Pedophile.”

“It wasn’t like that!”

“I know that and you know that, but it doesn’t change the legality of the situation.”

“Would Ms. Potts do that?” Peter asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“I dunno, baby. I thought I knew her, but this? Her fighting me on this is so far beyond anything I could’ve ever imagined her doing.” 

“I haven’t even told Aunt May.”

“Yeah. You’d have to do that. It would have to be tonight if we do. Every day that goes by without me being proactive means I’m reactive. But if you don’t want to, I’ll do everything in my power to keep the identity of my secret lover a secret.”

“They’ll find out anyway though, won’t they?”

“Maybe. The press is sniffing around now that the ‘Tony Stark is gay’ rumors are out there. Did you see ET?”

“You weren’t supposed to turn the TV on, Tony.”

Tony shrugged. “So you saw it.”

“Yeah. But I’d seen your sex tapes before,” Peter chuckled.

“That one?” Tony asked, surprised.

“Uh huh.”

“Damn kid. And you knew it was me? It never showed my face and that was before the arc.”

“I didn’t recognize it at first, but after our first time together?” Peter laughed. “You have a very distinctive patter of dirty talk.”

“Oh god!” Tony buried his face in his hand. The nurse came in the room again. “Fifteen minutes!” Tony barked.

“That was twenty minutes ago, Mister Stark. Bed,” the nurse said, unperturbed by his outburst.

“Just a little longer, then I promise,” Tony said, consolingly.

“Nine o’clock, then you will be  _ put  _ to bed if you don’t  _ go  _ to bed,” she warned.

“Aye aye Nurse Ratched. What about the cot for Mister Parker?” He turned to Peter. “It’s a lot to spring on you with no notice.”

“Yeah, it is.” He scooted the chair out of the way when the orderly brought in the cot. “Tony?” Peter said, once the lights were out. He reached up to hold Tony’s hand. “I want to say yes, I really do, but…”

“Peter, it’s okay. I understand.”

“It’s just May’s been a wreck since I came back. And it’s going to be hard enough on her with me staying here.”

“Baby, I understand, I wasn’t just saying that. You are incredible, but you’re only seventeen. That’s too young to be dealing with the fall out of a messy divorce and all the shit that’s going to be involved.”

“You don’t mind if we don’t go public for… a while?”

“Not at all, baby. I’d like to tell Happy and Rhodey, though.”

“Yeah. They’re okay. Just not all of the Avengers, okay?”

“Got it. It’s just that there isn’t anything about me that either of them don’t know and I’d rather not start lying to them.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter smiled. “I kinda had a kink for the armor, actually.”
> 
> Tony arched his eyebrow. “Really now? I would’ve never guessed from the Iron Man poster under your top bunk.”
> 
> “Oh my god, you saw that?”
> 
> “It had some very tell-tale stains on it.”
> 
> “Let me die now.” Peter covered his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like daily updates are a thing. I guess because I'm used to posting one-shots, this idea of waiting weeks for a whole story drives me crazy. No patience at all, me. 
> 
> There are spoilers for Spider-Man: Far From Home and it's mid-credits scene (though not the end-credits scene, I'm ignoring that). If you haven't seen FFH, you might want to wait until the next chapter.

“Look, Hogarth, this is what I’m damn near bankrupting myself for,” Tony barked into the phone the next morning. “Hire a better PR firm. Throw more lawyers at the problem. Do whatever it is I called you in to do in the first place. Isn’t this your thing? Handling the messy divorces of the rich and famous? I don’t care if I have to sell every one of my properties and empty out the vaults. Just keep Peter’s name out of it.”

“Fine. As long as you two keep a low profile, I can do it. I mean it. Low. Profile. Those might not be two words in Tony Stark’s vocabulary, but if you want to protect your boyfriend, you’ll do it.”

“How’s it going otherwise?” he asked.

“She wants to take you to the cleaners. She’s using Stark Industry’s lawyers, and I’m sorry Tony, but the guys on your payroll just aren’t as good as I am.”

“Huh. Well after it’s all finished, I’ll fire them.”

“ _ If _ you get your company back. She’s angling for 51%.”

“Nope. You get her down to an absolute maximum of no more than 49 and whatever non-stock options it takes.” Tony thought a minute. “Wait. Hold off making your offer until she’s actually in the room with her attorneys. Then make your opening offer 12 percent. Then say ‘an argument could be made for 15’. Those exact words. That’ll get her so pissed off you might have an advantage in the negotiation.”

Tony hated having to play dirty with Pepper. He didn’t hate her. He wasn’t even angry that she was making things complicated. But this wasn’t a relationship matter anymore. It was business. Since becoming Iron Man, he’d been too busy to deal with the nitty gritty of SI’s business, but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t handled it before, even if he had relied on Obie far too much. He still knew how the game was played and when Pepper refused to separate easily, the game had begun.

Three days later, after his next cradle treatment, Tony sent Peter home. “Look, this isn’t going to be something you’re going to want to be around. And to be honest, I’d rather you not see me at my worst.”

“I wanna take care of you, Tony,” Peter argued.

“I know, baby. But there’s not going to be a whole lot you can do. From what Helen described, the rest is going to be… intense. So go home. You can continue online studies or go back to school, whatever you want to do. But go home and be with your friends and Aunt May. Go have fun and be that friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, okay? If I’m up to it, I’ll call you at night. If not, I’ll make sure Helen texts you with an update every day.”

“How long is it going to be?” Peter asked.

“A month? Maybe two. Maybe more. They can only do so much each time. Unlike when she was building Vision, I’m awake and conscious through most of the thing. With me not being powered by an Infinity Stone, there’s just so much that what’s left of this human body can take.”

“Ned was telling me that when school lets out, there’s going to be a summer science trip to Europe.”

Tony smiled. “That sounds perfect. Go. Have fun. Take lots of pictures and I’ll follow you on Instagram.”

Peter laughed. “You’ll just have FRIDAY do it. I bet you don’t even know how to install the app.”

“You’re right,” Tony said, laughing back. He hated to lose Peter’s company and comfort, but he wasn’t really going to be in a position to appreciate it. It was important that Peter still have a life of his own. It assuaged some of Tony’s guilt for having robbed the cradle. 

A month later and Tony was still being put through endless rounds of hell. “FRIDAY? What’s left?” he asked, his voice still shaky after another day’s treatment.

“What do you mean, boss?”

“Properties.” Tony sold those off first before his other assets because he never cared about having houses all over the world. Most of them he never stayed in, but inherited from Howard.

“Las Vegas because of the venue. The property that the house was on in Malibu. The houseboat in Seattle. Your grandmother’s house in Naples. And the Long Island estate.”

“We still have that?”

“Yes sir.”

“Okay, get rid of the houseboat. I don’t care what it brings in, I only bought it because it was close to Boeing and we were competing for that military cargo contract. The place stinks of the loss. I hate it. It’s tempting to rebuild on Malibu someday, and there’s no way I’m selling Nonna’s house. What’s Long Island worth now?”

“49.7 million is the estimate.”

“I’m never moving back into Howard’s house. Sell it.”

“Boss, your escrow account for Hogarth and Associates is more than large enough to cover anticipated expenses.”

“Yeah, but I need a place to live in New York when I get out of here. Fifty million isn’t going to cut it, even if I only buy a condo.”

“Current rates for condominiums at the level to which you’re accustomed range from 150 to 300 million.”

“Yikes. It’s been a long time since I had to check the price tag on anything. I guess buying a building is out of the question.”

“Not until after you have unencumbered access to whatever your portion of SI will be.”

Tony sighed. It was nice to feel actual ribs moving with his breath. He looked down. It was also nice to see smooth skin, albeit synthskin, move with them. “I need at least two floors, one for a lab, and roof access for landings. What else do I have left.”

“Your personal stock portfolio is valued at 481 million. There is approximately 232 million in metals and other commodities as of today’s closing. And there is 73 million in gold bullion and jewelry in the vault.”

“Huh. Not a billionaire anymore. Not without SI.”

“No boss.”

“Okay then,” he said, sounding disappointed. “Time to go to work. Bring up the Tinker Toys files.” Tony went through his personal engineering projects. He waved away the nurse with her nighttime warnings. “I’m working. Out.” She tried to argue with him, but he kept shutting her down. At 3 a.m. his phone rang. Helen Cho. He clicked ‘decline’ but it didn’t stop ringing. “FRIDAY…” he warned.

“Yes boss,” the AI said, splashing the doctor’s call on his screen, deliberately misinterpreting what Tony had intended.

“Mister Stark, stop giving my nurses a hard time,” the sleepy doctor said.

“I’m impoverished.”

“Holy fu…” she cut herself off. She tapped a few keys on her computer and the electricity in Tony’s room shut off. “Go to bed.”

“Killjoy. You’ll be singing another tune when I can’t pay your bills.”

“Shall I call Mister Parker?”

“No, no. He’s on his way to Venice. Don’t you dare call him.”

“Then go to bed.”

“Bu…”

“NOW!” She hung up the phone.

In the dark, with his screens shut down and FRIDAY only minimally responsive, there was little else for him to do.

~~~

“Fury so help me god if you let anything happen to that boy!” Tony’s phone blinked and cut off. He threw the thing across the room.

~~~

“Night monkey??? Jesus fucking Christ Maria, couldn’t you have had Fury  _ at least _ get him a decent suit and cover story? If one hair on Peter’s head is harmed, you will all wish I’d stayed dead on the battlefield.”

~~~

“FRIDAY, what do you mean that some cut-rate super villain with the bargain basement name of Mysterio has access to my satellites? Shut that shit down. I don’t care how you do it, get it done.”

“I’m sorry, boss. He has access to all SI technology and security codes. Current theory is that he is working with some former employees.”

“Who gave him access?”

“The drones were tied to whoever was your next of kin.”

“Rhodey?” Tony said in disbelief.

“No boss. You transferred next of kin status jointly to Colonel Rhodes and Mister Parker two weeks ago.”

“Get Happy over there right now. And get me Fury on the line.”

“Busy right now, Stark,” Nick Fury growled into the phone.

“Peter…”

“Spider-Man is  _ handling  _ it. We’re a little light on the ground in the super hero department these days.”

“Bastard!”

“I have it on good authority that my parents were married.”

“By inclination then!”

“Granted. Still busy. Get well soon.”

Another phone hit the wall.

~~~

“FRIDAY, link to Karen. Peter! I just saw the news. I need you here at the clinic right now. I can’t protect you out there. Get somewhere safe. I have Rhodey following your suit’s tracker.”

“Oh my god, Tony. I swear… that’s not what happened. The bots he was controlling killed him. I didn’t…” Peter’s breaths were ragged and fast.

“I know, baby. You’d never kill anyone like that,” Tony said soothingly. “I know you’re upset but you don’t have time for that right now. Get someplace high. I have Rhodey on his way to you and Happy is with May. I don’t have any place to keep you both safe right now except for this clinic. Everything’s on lockdown here, waiting for your arrival. It’ll be okay, baby. Get high up. I love you.”

~~~

“Ross, it was an official SHIELD op. Sanctioned. I know he hasn’t signed the Accords. Take that up with Fury. He’s not eighteen yet. He can’t sign them. Yes, he’s an Avenger. If it weren’t for Peter Parker, you’d still be a dust cloud, so  _ handle it _ . 

“The video is fake. The guy in it? This Mysterio? He was a disgruntled employee of mine and the tech he used to make that bullshit leaves traces. Yes, I can prove it. Sorry, it’s going to have to wait a day or two. Princess Shuri is coming in to consult with Cho. You just put out the fires until then. I’ll work on the proof as much as possible between treatments. FRIDAY will send you the updates.”

~~~

Tony was sitting up on the side of his bed when Peter came in with Rhodey.

“You shouldn’t be up…” Peter chided once Colonel Rhodes left the room.

“Baby, come here,” Tony held his arm wide.

“I’m so, so sorry Tony,” Peter sobbed, sitting next to him and nestling into the crook of his arm. “I didn’t know he was…” Peter’s voice hitched. “I gave him access. I thought needed it to fight. That he’d be better at it than me.”

“Shh. Shh. Petey, it’s okay.” Tony kissed the top of Peter’s head then tilted the boy’s face to his for a proper kiss. 

“Peter Parker!”

Peter squeaked, “May! When did you get here?” He looked around, his eyes landed on Happy who was standing behind her. He looked at the man beseechingly. 

“We should leave them alone,” Happy said, slipping his arm around May’s waist.

“What the hell? You knew?”

“May,” Peter said, getting up from the bed and going to the door of Tony’s room. “I can’t deal with this now. Later.” He shut the door, leaving his aunt sputtering outside it. Peter ran back over to Tony’s bed. “I messed everything up. Everything.”

“Sweetheart, I should’ve been there. Someone should’ve been there. It shouldn’t have been just you.”

“I trusted him!”

Tony sighed. “I know. It’s okay. You have to just hope for the best when you trust people. You couldn’t have known what he was like. It’s my fault really. He used to work for me. Fired employee goes postal. I’m sorry you were caught up in it.” Tony smiled. “You did great though. You saved a lot of people.”

“Yeah, but now everyone knows.”

“Petey, it’s over. The battle was won. Now, you step back and let the Avengers machine work for you. I can prove the tape was doctored. He used my BARF therapy exercise and it has a unique digital framework. I’ve got FRIDAY working on the forensic computer analysis and after my treatments I’ll start taking care of it. Meanwhile SHIELD and Ross are on the situation. All you have to do is stay here for a few days while they work. Stay quiet, just like the Avengers did after the Battle of New York. Things were a mess. As many people were calling for our heads for the damage done as were willing to praise us. But now? You never hear about the bad things. Same with Sokovia, Seoul. and Lagos. Let the aftermath team take care of this. It’s what they’re for.”

Peter nodded. Tony sat there, rubbing his back until the boy stopped shaking.

“We can prove you didn’t kill Beck,” Tony said gently. “What I don’t think we’re going to be able to do is put the spider-genie back into the bottle. Being an Avenger has drawbacks. You’ll have to sign the Accords and your aunt will have to cosign for you because you’re not eighteen. To be able to sign, there can’t be any secret identities. You, Peter Parker, not Spider-Man, will have to be responsible, same as me, Rhodey, Wanda, Bruce, Wilson, and Barnes. Or you retire like Barton and Lang. There really isn’t an in between choice anymore.”

“Oh,” Peter said quietly. “I guess not. No more friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”

“Not after this, baby, I’m sorry. We can make the murder charges go away, but once something like this hits the internet, it’s out there. Can’t be taken back. But that’s another thing we’re good at. Handling the announcement. Once you’re proven innocent, the Avengers Initiative handles everything. Until then, you stay here, you stay quiet, and you stay safe.”

“And May? There are people out there who want to  _ kill  _ me, Tony.”

“Protection is for family members too. You won’t have to worry about some criminal threatening her because the entirety of SHIELD and the Avengers will rain fire on their asses if they so much as look at her sideways. Meanwhile, we’ll set her up in a room here. Doctor Cho isn’t going to be happy having her clinic become a mini Avengers HQ, but…” Tony shrugged. “She’ll be compensated for that, and not out of my pocket either.” Something Tony was grateful for right now, given his current financial embarrassment. “The question about May is more, how much is she going to kill my ass now that she knows I’ve molested her little boy?” Tony said, chuckling.

“I molested you, as I recall,” Peter said, smiling. “I’ll talk to her. She’s gonna be mad, but she’ll understand eventually. I love you, so she’s going to have to understand.”

“I love you too, baby.” Tony kissed Peter again. “But go talk to her now. I need to…” Tony sighed. He hated showing weakness in front of his boy, but he was on the verge of passing out. “Gotta rest, Petey. Hey! Did I tell you? Princess Shuri’s coming and she’s bringing some of that Vibranium magic. They’re going to try to regrow my arm.”

“Really? That’s amazing. You’re looking a lot better.” Peter stood up from the bed and helped Tony lift his legs back into it to lay down. “You don’t look like a ghost anymore and the bandages are gone from your side.”

“I told them I didn’t care about the arm. I could make one.”

“Yeah, but isn’t this better?”

Tony shrugged. “It might not work. I might not be able to tolerate the process. Vision didn’t wake up until he was fully formed and they embedded the mind stone. So it’s all unproven ground. Would you mind if this,” he twitched the bandages on what was left of his missing arm, “wasn’t real?”

Peter kissed Tony on the forehead. “Not at all. I want what you want.” Peter smiled. “I kinda had a kink for the armor, actually.”

Tony arched his eyebrow. “Really now? I would’ve never guessed from the Iron Man poster under your top bunk.”

“Oh my god, you  _ saw  _ that?”

“It had some very tell-tale stains on it.”

“Let me die now.” Peter covered his face.

“So, um, if I were to reprogram the nanites when I get out of here to create an appendage somewhere.” Tony wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Peter’s face went from mortified to beet red.

Tony laughed. “Well that answers  _ that _ question.”

“I’m going to die of embarrassment right this minute.”

“Aww, you don’t want me to do it?”

Peter opened the door and then turned back to whisper, “I didn’t say  _ that _ .” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Parker, Parker-Stark, or Stark-Parker?”
> 
> “What about just Stark?” Peter said, blushing. “If that’s okay?”
> 
> Tony laughed. “Been writing that in pink glitter ink on your school notebooks for long, princess?”
> 
> “Tony!” Peter’s blush turned bright red. “Okay. Maybe. Yeah. Just a little.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters today. I can't take this drawn out process!
> 
> No drug use in here. Honestly, after the beginning, it doesn't come in until much later in the story. I'll warn when it does.
> 
> Happier news in here and some cheesy romance. I did say it wouldn't be all angst. I wanted more angst but the boys had other ideas.

Fury, Ross, and the Avengers Initiative did their work. Tony provided undeniable proof that the video Quentin Beck released was a fake. Five of Stark Industries’ former employees were arrested in the hoax and summer attacks. Spider-Man’s identity was confirmed and there was a very public ceremony with him signing the Sokovia Accords and being welcomed into the Avengers by the new Captain America, Sam Wilson. Tony watched from his hospital room as there were smiles and photo-ops all around. 

Aunt May came around to understanding by the time they were to head back to their apartment in Queens (with much greater security measures installed.) She had a few choice words for Tony about the fact that things between him and Peter had started before the snap, while the boy was still underage, but she was willing to overlook that because Peter was in love. He got a version of the shovel talk, but he assured her that he’d sooner die than do anything to hurt her nephew. He also told her that however odd it was, he was more in love with Peter than he’d ever been with anyone, even his soon to be ex-wife. That as soon as the divorce was final and the dust had settled, he planned on making an honest man of Peter and spending the rest of his life with the boy, for as long as Peter would have him.

That was the good news.

The bad news was that after four days of excruciatingly painful attempts to make it work, the synthflesh arm that Princess Shuri and Doctor Cho created had to be removed because Tony’s body was rejecting it. The organic part he had at the beginning was still viable, so once Tony was released from the clinic, he could begin building a prosthesis.

More good news filtered in as Doctor Cho began preparing Tony for his release from the hospital. There was still cosmetic work to be done on the horrible mess of scars that covered his entire right side, but that could be handled with outpatient visits. She assured him that, while there would be some scarring that couldn’t be repaired because of the esoteric damage, most of it could be. His side would be healed to the point that Clint’s had been, virtually indistinguishable from his former state. 

What remained of his arm however… there was very little that could be done beyond what they already had. His chest and back would be better than it was right now, but lines had been etched into his flesh from the sparking magical power that ran over him. The same would be true of his face. It was still discolored, but the cradle would take care of that. She could do a lot to make all of the damage look better, but the fine tracery of scar lines, there was little she could do about.

Tony tried to take it well. It’s not like he wasn’t already scarred. There was a litany of small scars from his various Avengers adventures. A few more from his Iron Man suit’s joints before the nanites made it fit perfectly skin tight. His chest was covered with pockmarks from the spray of shrapnel he took in Afghanistan. Yinsen did his best but he was working in filthy conditions with almost nothing. It was a miracle that he’d managed as much as he did. Still, the long scar line across the top of his pectoral hadn’t faded with age. 

The one he hated the most was in the center of his chest. A broad, shiny white line of scar tissue from his collar bone to his belly, with a few smaller ones just below that, from the open heart surgery he had to remove the arc reactor. He regretted having it done. He had adjusted to looking at his body with the glowing device in it. 

The work Yinsen did left a hole deep into his chest, piercing straight through the bone, pushing his right lung to the side, and sitting next to his heart. A ring of small scars surrounded the edge of the housing where it attached through skin and muscle. He never minded those scars. They were proof of his genius and his ability to survive. The long surgical scar was proof of his ability to be manipulated. To be pressured into proving his supposed love for Pepper. He knew it was ridiculous, but he often considered having his nanite generator put into the hole that the metal plate covered up over the missing bone.

“Helen, can you do something about this?” he said, clumsily opened his pajama shirt and pointed at the center scar. “Nothing magical about it.”

“The cradle works best the fresher the scar is, but yes. We can diminish the scars on your chest to almost nothing.”

“And…” he hesitated. “If I asked you to open up my chest and…” Tony gave a shaky sigh. “Undo what the heart surgeon did? Not what he did to my heart itself, but… Could you…”

Helen furrowed her brow. “Implant a new arc reactor? Is that what you’re asking?”

“Yes. It would be nice to have the nanite device be a part of me that couldn’t be removed. Right now it’s only held in place magnetically, attaching to the plate they put in.”

“I don’t see why not. Let’s take care of the gauntlet damage first, all right? That will give you time to create a new internal casing for the device and to think on it some more.”

Tony chuckled. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since I had it removed. Oddly enough, seeing it there…” He shrugged. “It would make the rest a little bit more bearable. I’d look more like  _ me _ . Me without an arm, but me. Plus, it can power the prosthesis I’ve been designing in my head.”

“I’m not opposed to it, let’s just do things in the right order.” She paused and nodded toward his missing arm. “How are you feeling about that?”

He huffed deeply. “Honestly? I’m sure I can do as well as Leopold Fitz did for Coulson. The only thing is…” He sucked his lips. “Not thrilled about this thing,” he said, waving his bandaged stump. I’ve seen where Barnes’ arm is attached. Kinda what they define as nightmare fuel.”

“That was because the work was done by HYDRA and the Soviet Union in the 1940s. Firstly, your prosthesis won’t be permanently melded to your body unless you want it to be. If so, it won’t be as damaging to the place where it joins. Secondly, It won’t attach at the shoulder but on your upper arm. Finally, what remains of your arm will be nothing but smooth skin with the traces of the esoterically caused scars that I mentioned.”

“What about Strange. Can he…”

Doctor Cho shook her head. “He’s done all that he can do. He said the only other thing would be to create a sort of glamour over you. It would be a false image projection, nothing more. It would fail when you were asleep. It wouldn’t do anything to mask the texture of the skin.”

“No. That’s… worse. That’s a lie.”

“Mister Stark, it’s a miracle that you lived. To expect such an event to not leave a mark… it’s not…”

Tony nodded. “When I first saw the electromagnet…” He shuddered. “But then when I replaced it with the arc reactor…” He smiled. “It was brilliant. I was brilliant.” He laughed at his ego.

“I’m sure you will do no less of a job on your prosthesis. In time, you’ll see it as much of who you are as you saw that,” she said, tapping the center of his chest. “You’ll be unable to imagine yourself without it.”

That night, Jeri Hogarth called him. Pepper had tired of the fight. Even though she was the aggrieved and cheated on wife, Tony Stark was Iron Man. The hero who defeated Thanos and saved the world. It was a battle she couldn’t win. She would keep her position as CEO of Stark Industries with increased pay and benefits. From the divorce she’d personally take 20% of the joint property, and a 15% share of SI stock. Morgan would have a trust of 30% of the joint property and 20% SI stock. Which left Tony a multi-billionaire once more.

Custody would be jointly shared, with Tony having Morgan one week per month and two weekends. Pepper would have three weeks and the other two weekends. Each of them would have one month during summer vacation. Major decisions regarding Morgan’s future would be decided jointly as well, through intermediary consultation with her godparents — Rhodey and Wanda, who replaced Natasha as Morgan’s godmother — if Tony and Pepper couldn’t agree. 

Pepper was still furious, even if she wasn’t fighting anymore. She wanted nothing to do with Tony, not even as colleagues. She wouldn’t be the one to bring SI business to him, relying on her personal secretary. She wouldn’t be present when the exchanges of their daughter happened either. That would be handled by the nanny.

Tony regretted the loss of Pepper’s friendship and the fact that, while final, the split was anything but amicable. But it could’ve been much worse. Pepper still had no idea who the mystery man she’d been dumped for was. The press had been given enough juicy gossip over the divorce details that they stopped looking for the ‘homewrecker’. 

There were still nasty comments about Tony’s ‘sudden change’ of sexual orientation in the news. Pepper didn’t hold back on letting loose the details of Tony’s more private sex life. The nicer outlets simply said he was bisexual. The less nice ones used less nice words for it. SI’s price on the Dow took a hit, but it was 2023. No one really gave a damn who fucked whom, especially in the rich and famous set. There was digging, but no name was found for the mystery man. 

Tony did damage control interviews by phone with Rolling Stone and the Advocate, both of which used sympathetic reporters who asked questions pre-approved by Hogarth and himself. He did a good job of explaining his reasons for being closet. Neither Howard nor Obadiah approved. So while, yes, he had always had relationships with both men and women, it was decided  _ for him _ that only those with women would ever hit the press. He never cared one way or the other. “When have I ever cared what people say about me?” was the quote.

With less than a week to go before his release, Tony realized he was homeless. “Fuck. FRIDAY, I need a place to live. Call Peter.” He waited until Peter’s face appeared on the holo-screen. “Hey, baby. Where are you planning on going to college?”

“Hi there.” Peter smiled at the screen. He could see Tony, sitting up in bed, surrounded by blueprints and papers and holo-screens pushed to the side with various arm designs on them. “I haven’t applied anywhere yet. Seniors start applying back in January. I was a junior, so I didn’t.”

“Formalities. You’re getting in wherever you want to go.”

“I am? Tony, I don’t know…”

“One, you’re Spider-Man. Two, you’re an Avenger. Three, you helped save the world in the Battle for Earth. Four, you saved Venice, Prague, and London from disaster. Five, you’re  _ my  _ boyfriend. Where do you want to go to college?”

Peter sighed. “I’m not sure I want to go back to high school. Or that I’m going to be able to go to college even, given all the rest of all that.”

“High school, we can dispense with. I’ve told you a dozen times, you don’t belong there. There are enough early entrant programs in college where you can complete your senior year and freshman year at the same time. The only question is where. MIT? CalTech? Someplace more exotic? You had to have been thinking about it. What was your dream get?”

“Columbia. That was my first choice. It’s close to home, and has good biotech and engineering programs. I figured it’d be impossible though. That I’d just… I dunno… get a job?”

“Columbia? Not MIT?”

Peter laughed. “No, Tony. Not MIT.”

“Even if I can get you in there?”

“What, you can’t get me into Columbia?” Peter teased.

“Of course I can. I’m just biased.”

“No. Columbia is my first choice, even if I can pick from anywhere. I’d kinda like to stay in New York and close to you.”

Tony shrugged. “I can live anywhere. I’m technically homeless right now, so I’m just wondering where I should look for a property to move us into.”

“Us?”

“Yeah. You still want to be together, right? The divorce is over. I’m a single man again. And I’d like to live with my fiance. You did say yes, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“Parker, Parker-Stark, or Stark-Parker?”

“What about just Stark?” Peter said, blushing. “If that’s okay?”

Tony laughed. “Been writing that in pink glitter ink on your school notebooks for long, princess?”

“Tony!” Peter’s blush turned bright red. “Okay. Maybe. Yeah. Just a little.”

“You’re adorable and I’d love nothing more than for you take my name, baby. Forever,” Tony added.

“Tony Stark’s a secret romantic,” Peter teased.

“Only for you sweetheart.” Tony was surprised by how nice it felt that Peter wanted to take his name. There had been no doubt that Pepper would stay Potts. Tony never asked her to consider otherwise. It just didn’t matter to him. But Peter? Yeah, it mattered. Tony’s heart was heading up to cloud nine with the news. 

He leaned back and sighed. “Peter, I feel things for you I never thought existed outside of cheesy movies and nineteenth century novels. If you want to go to Columbia, then Columbia it is. I’ll buy us a nice building not too far from campus. Something overlooking the Hudson. We’ll move May onto one of the floors so she’ll be safe.” His hand was swiping through holograms on the screen to his left as he spoke to Peter. 

“Oh god Tony. Please don’t go overboard.”

“I’m not. But I need a place to live. A lab. A workshop. Security. Offices. Honey, the old tower’s gone, sold over five years ago, before the snap. Avengers HQ is being rebuilt upstate, but I hardly want us to live there full time. The commute, even by helicopter is a bitch. I need a place to host business dinners and meetings. And too, I’ll need a place for Morgan to stay when she’s with us. I need a landing site for when I suit up, storage for my suits and the Iron Legion. You need web slinging access.” He shrugged. “The easiest way is to just buy a building. I’d build something new again, but that’s not going to be ready soon enough. I can have something new started and it’ll be ready when you graduate college. Morningside Heights is a bit downmarket from Midtown.”

Peter swallowed and blinked slowly, feeling overwhelmed.

“I’m sorry darling, but this is part of being with me,” Tony explained. “It’s going to be a lot more high profile than you’re used to. Has to be. Part of my value to SI is the image. The image drops, the stock drops. The stock drops, then I can’t fund the tech the Avengers need. And everything else follows on top of that. It all looks effortless from the outside, Petey, but it’s anything but.” Tony paused. “I wish I hadn’t been so out of it for the past few months. I could’ve prepared you better for what life with me is going to be like. If you want to back out, I understand…”

“No, I don’t want to do that. It’s just…” Peter flailed around trying to explain. “I’m just a kid from Queens, Tony.”

“I know baby. Look, now that I know where you’re going to college, that’s all you need to worry about. I’ll take care of everything else. You’ll just unpack your boxes and move in, okay? Same as you would’ve if things hadn’t gotten all Thanos on us. Other than my bullshit, how’s the rest of your summer been going now that you’re an official Avenger? Because if you’re having to deal with too much…”

“No. It’s fine. It’s actually been pretty good. Weird with some of the people I know, the whole ‘Peter Parker is Spider-Man’ thing. Not being able to just… y’know… be anonymous little ol’ me. But my best friends already knew. I guess that’s all good training for what’s going to happen once our relationship goes public, right?”

“Um hmm. But if the being an Avenger thing gets too rough, let me know and I’ll get somebody on the line and make them handle the flak. Found it. Okay, the building’s not for sale… Oh, that’s convenient. I know the owner and I have something he’s been desperate to get out of my art collection. See, Petey. It all comes together. Cho’s cutting me free on Friday. I’m going to be moving into a hotel for awhile because as usual, I left all this until the last minute. Can I have Happy bring you there?”

Peter smiled. “I’d love it. If Doctor Cho’s letting you go, are you… ahem…”

“Cleared for vigorous activity?” Tony said teasingly. “Baby I’d better be, because being alone with you is going to get very vigorous. And now you’re seventeen. I’m not going to jail if we’re together.” Tony looked fondly at Peter’s image. “Baby, I’ve missed the touch of you.”

The night before Tony was checked out of Doctor Cho’s clinic, Happy delivered him a package from SI’s fabrication division. It wasn’t anything like what he’d be able to build for himself once he had access to a proper lab. To be honest, it wasn’t even up to the standards of the thing the Winter Soldier had attached when Tony first met him. The metal arm, colored to match his Iron Man suit, was little more than something to fill out the sleeve of his shirt. Happy helped him with the attachment straps, but after, it just hung there, heavy and clumsy and useless. Tony sighed. He wasn’t accustomed to waiting for things, and now it seemed like he did little else. 

He was still waiting to close escrow on the building in Morningside Heights, so technically he was still homeless. But if you have to be homeless, you could do worse than the Royal Suite at the Ritz Carlton. Happy dropped him off and saw to it that the suite’s butler was unpacking before he headed to pick Peter up to bring him to Tony.

“If that’s all boss, I thought I’d take May to that little Indian place over in the Village,” Happy said.

Peter dropped his backpack and ran to Tony, hugging him tightly around the neck and pulling him into a kiss. From behind the boy, Tony waved Happy off along his way.

“Oh my god, Tony! The Ritz Carlton? Really?”

Tony shrugged. “I dunno. If you don’t like it, there’s a Motel 6 somewhere over in Jersey we could check into.”

“As long as there’s a bed, I don’t care,” Peter said grinning.

“Go hang the ‘do not disturb’ sign baby. I don’t plan on letting you up until breakfast.”

Peter bounded across the room and did what Tony asked before heading to the master bedroom.

Tony tried not to be impatient with Peter as he helped him, but he was used to impersonal nurses handling his daily care. It bothered him that it was Peter who was unbuttoning his shirt. Peter who unbuckled the straps on his prosthesis. Peter who saw what the remaining bit of his arm looked like without neat bandages covering the scarred flesh.

“What will help, Tony,” Peter asked softly, noticing the man’s distress.

“Would you mind if I wore a shirt to bed?” Tony asked hesitantly.

Peter got up from the bed and went into the closet. He found several sets of pajamas, each with their right sleeve neatly trimmed short. He picked a black silk set. “Bottoms?”

“Only bottom I need is yours, sweetcheeks.”

Peter laughed. “God you’re so cheesy.”

“Been told that before,” Tony said, taking the shirt from Peter and managing to get it on himself, so long as he left the buttons open. He scooted himself into the middle of the bed, propped up on the headboard.

“I love you,” Peter said, undressing and sliding into bed, settling on Tony’s good side. “I know you’ve been told that before too.”

“Yeah, but I love  _ you  _ and I’ve never meant it before when I said it.” He wrapped his arm around Peter’s back and pulled him in for a long kiss. 

He knew from having popped an inappropriate boner or two in the hospital that his equipment still worked. But everything felt awkward with another person in his bed. He’d try to reach across himself to touch the boy and couldn’t. He tried to roll himself onto his side, but that trapped his good arm beneath Peter and he wasn’t able to touch him at all like that. 

Peter hesitated when he touched Tony’s side and had to be reassured that everything was back to the way it was supposed to be and his own skin was growing back over the synth matrix that the cradle had formed. 

Everything just felt so off to Tony that even though he missed Peter tremendously, and greatly desired him, nothing was happening. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“I thought I had a few more years in me before  _ this _ would be a problem.”

“Tony, for god’s sake, you died and came back to life. Cut yourself some slack.” Peter pushed gently on Tony’s chest and rolled the man onto his back. He draped himself over him like a blanket and began kissing him again. “I missed you kissing me. Time in the soul realm was… weird. I dreamt sometimes though. Or I think I did. And I dreamt of this.”

_ This _ , Tony could do. He wrapped his fingers around the back of Peter’s neck and threaded them into the boy’s hair as their lips met. He licked into Peter’s mouth when the boy gasped. He let his hand tug gently, then more firmly at the soft curls and Peter moaned. The breathed each other’s breaths and kissed again and again.

“You were gone before I could kiss you,” Tony said, looking up at Peter’s face, his eyes moist. “I was holding you and you… you…”

“I’m here,” Peter whispered. “I’m here.”

Tony felt himself stir slightly at the warmth of having Peter on top of him, but honestly, he didn’t feel like doing anything other than holding the boy and kissing him, reassuring himself that he was real and not dust. This was the beginning of their forever. 

Peter was feeling just as overwhelmed. He had felt Tony holding him and then he tasted ashes. Then he felt Tony hugging him only to, moments later, watch the light go out of the man’s eyes and the nanite device go dark. 

Peter had always been an easy cryer, but he was surprised when Tony broke down completely, clutching at his back and burying his face into Peter’s neck, sobbing openly. 

Despite any teasing plans about vigorous activity, it wasn’t long before the two of them were wrung dry. Tony settled Peter into the crook of what was left of his right arm, so that he could touch him with his left hand. In less than an hour, they had fallen asleep together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Take me to bed. Right now.”
> 
> “No, you have bacon grease on your fingers,” Tony teased.
> 
> Peter rolled his eyes and proceeded to wipe his hands all over Tony’s vintage Black Sabbath t-shirt.
> 
> “You’re a menace, Peter Parker.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff and romance. I swear! When you're a pantser, you go where the characters take you. They just wouldn't get angsty on me. So we have more fluff and romance. Oh. And sex.

Tony woke first. He dressed in a t-shirt he could pull over his head and sweatpants he could tug over his hips. Quietly he ordered a massive amount of room service for breakfast. When it was all set up in the dining room of the suite, he went back to the bed and kissed Peter awake. “Sleep well, baby?” he asked.

Peter stretched and yawned. “I haven’t slept like that in… forever, I don’t think.”

“Yes you did,” Tony said as Peter got up to use the bathroom. “The night you stayed over and slept in my bed.”

Peter laughed. “Yeah. I guess I just need you as my personal sleeping pill.”

“Mutual, doll. I didn’t even wake up with a headache this morning. So that solves it. You sleep in my bed from now on.”

“Mmm. I’d like that but the hotel staff will talk.”

“No they won’t. I pay them not to. They’re known for their discretion.”

“Oh,” Peter said quietly.

Tony walked into the bathroom and hooked his arm around Peter’s waist from behind. “Sweetheart, it doesn’t matter how many people I’ve been here with before you. What matters is that there will be no one after you.”

Peter smiled at their reflections. “You’re right.” He turned and gave Tony a peck on the lips. “Do I smell bacon?”

“Um hmm. I didn’t forget that spidey metabolism. I ordered enough for an army.”

Peter kissed Tony’s cheek. “You’re great and all, but bacon,” he said and dashed off to the dining room. “Mmm. Oh my god. Rich people bacon even tastes better. That’s so not fair.”

Tony sat at the table and helped himself properly to a plate of food. “I’m going to enjoy spoiling you rotten.”

“Tony…” Peter warned.

“Nope. If there’s anyone who deserves to be spoiled rotten, baby, it’s you.”

“People will say…”

“Yeah, they will, even if I never buy you a single thing. So why let what people will say stop us?”

“Oh god Tony, you’re going to convince me.”

“Good. Because I bought you something.”

“Other than the best breakfast I’ve ever eaten?”

“Yep.”

“What?”

“Eat first.”

Peter sat down at the end of the table and was so busy eating that he didn’t notice what Tony was doing.

“Peter,” Tony said, having gotten down on one knee next to the boy’s chair. He held out a small box. “I know I asked you when I was in the hospital,”

“Oh my god!”

“Shut up, I’m trying to propose to you,” Tony said laughing. “This is a romantic thing, okay?”

“Yes Tony.”

“I haven’t asked you yet.” He’d been practicing all morning and managed to flip the box open one handed. Getting the ring out was a bit more difficult and the box wound up on the floor. “As I was saying… Peter, will you marry me?”

“Now can I say yes?”

“Yes,” Tony said, grinning. “Now is when you say yes. If you want to.”

“Yes. I will marry you.”

Tony slipped the ring on Peter’s finger. It was made in Tony’s signature red and gold and a circle of diamonds, channel set, was in the middle of it.

“It’s… the color…”

“Yeah. I’m cheesy remember?”

“No, it’s perfect. Way too expensive and sparkly and I’ll get mugged for it, but it’s perfect.” He laughed. “It’s very _ you _.”

“Of course it is. I’m very me and you’re stuck with me.”

“How did you have this made so fast?”

“I made this after the first, and only, night we spent together. I had it dug out of storage, that’s all.”

“Oh god, Tony, you’re killing me. You’re ridiculous.”

“It’s me, remember?” Tony stood and dragged his chair next to Peter’s. “Peter, before I ever took you to my bed, I had to know that it was something more than just an itch I wanted to scratch. I never would’ve done that to you. Sure, you were hot and sexy and my dick got hard every time you walked into the room, but I _ do _ know how to keep it in my pants. I knew what you were feeling about me and I would die before I hurt you. So yeah, you seduced me, but only because I let you. I knew that what I was feeling was something so totally new to my experience…” Tony shook his head remembering how quickly his love for Peter had bloomed. “The idea of living without you in my life was something I didn’t want to do, _ couldn’t _do, no matter what. Not even knowing that you were just a sixteen year old with a massive crush…”

“Tony, it was _ so _much more than that,” Peter said, interrupting.

“I realized that, that night. So I made this. Maybe I’d get lucky enough that you stayed in love with me long enough for me to give it to you. Maybe not. But I made it anyway.” Tony brought Peter’s hand to his lips and kissed it over the ring. “I never got rid of it, even though you were gone. I couldn’t. I hid it away where no one would find it. So yeah. I do move fast, when it’s someone that I love.”

“Take me to bed. Right now.”

“No, you have bacon grease on your fingers,” Tony teased.

Peter rolled his eyes and proceeded to wipe his hands all over Tony’s vintage Black Sabbath t-shirt.

“You’re a menace, Peter Parker.”

“Peter _ Stark _.”

“Soon, baby. Soon.”

Tony hesitated. Peter didn’t. He quickly stripped out of the clothes he’d borrowed from Tony that morning and just as quickly, had the man’s sweat pants off. Then, he was like an eager puppy with a mission. He climbed on top of Tony and kissed him fiercely. He cupped the man’s face.

“Does this hurt? I don’t want to hurt you,” Peter said.

“Doesn’t hurt.”

“Does anything? So I know.”

“The arm. That doesn’t even really hurt, just feels… weird. But nothing hurts.”

Peter smiled. He kissed the center of Tony’s collarbone where the divot was. He licked there and ran his tongue along the bone on the good side, then back to the center, then up the other, where the scars were.

“Baby…”

“Hurt?”

“No, but…”

“Then shut up.”

Tony gasped as Peter mouthed up his neck, nibbling his way up to his ear, lips and tongue teasing lightly over the damage. “Baby… oh god.” Tony bit his lips. He was surprised that he could still feel anything on that side of his neck and on that side of his face as Peter kissed along it, until he was seeking out Tony’s lips again. His breath shuddered. “I…” His voice broke.

“I love you. Every bit of you. God, Tony, you are… so beautiful.”

“You don’t have to say that.”

“I know. Didn’t I promise you I’d never lie to you? You’d never lie to me? Didn’t we say that to each other?”

“Yeah, but…”

“But nothing.” Peter sat up, straddling Tony’s hips. He rucked up Tony’s t-shirt.

Tony shook his head, wincing.

“I’m not taking it off. Just…” He pulled the shirt over Tony’s head, stretching the collar of it to go over it and behind the man’s neck. He smiled as he stretched himself out over Tony’s chest.

“Mmm. Warm. Just like I remembered you.” He ran both hands up Tony’s sides. “God, I missed you.”

“It was only five hours for you. That’s what Lang said.”

Peter shook his head. “Maybe in the quantum realm, but I don’t know where we were. Doctor Strange called it the soul realm.” He punctuated his words with kisses. “Time wasn’t normal. Wasn’t linear. Physics didn’t apply. I don’t know how long it was. Less than five years, but a whole lot longer than five hours. Long enough for me to miss you.” Peter kissed down Tony’s face, down to his neck again, then trailed kisses down his chest, sliding himself lower. “Now are we going to discuss quantum physics and magical I-don’t-even-know-what, or are you going to shut up and let me suck your cock?”

“Jeez. The kid goes away for a few whatevers and comes back a brat,” Tony said, laughing. 

Peter nipped at Tony’s stomach right below his ribs.

“Ticklish!” Tony said, barking out a laugh.

“Filing _ that _away for later.”

“Fuck you.”

“I _ was _kinda hoping.”

Peter took his time working his way down, kissing and licking everywhere, careful this time to apply enough pressure to avoid tickling. And Tony _ definitely _ wasn’t having a repeat of last night’s problem. Peter looked up at him as he took Tony’s cock into his mouth, feeling the weight of it on his tongue, feeling it grow as he sucked.

“Take your time baby,” Tony said, brushing his fingers through Peter’s hair. He remembered the last time they were together. Peter’s first attempt was endearing but unskilled. He tried too hard and wound up choking himself. “Slow… Fuck! Do that with your tongue again.” Tony sucked in a sharp breath. “Just like that, babydoll.”

Peter pulled off and looked up at Tony, eyes sparkling. “You gonna teach me?” He wrapped his lips over the head again.

“Um hmm. You’ve got the right idea. Don’t take it too deep. Suck,” he ran his hand along Peter’s cheek, feeling it hollow. “That’s it. A little more. However much you’re okay with. Wrap your hand around the shaft. Just like that. Oh baby. You’re such a quick study. My good boy. Missed this, Petey. Never letting you go.” His hand wound into Peter’s hair, tugging gently, pushing slightly. “Little bit more. You can do it. I won’t push hard. There. Feel good? That okay?” he asked as he felt his cock hitting the back of Peter’s mouth.

“Mmm,” Peter moaned around him in assent.

“Oh god, Peter. That’s it. Yes. Move your hand too. Fuck baby. There is absolutely nothing better than seeing you like this.”

Peter grinned and eased his mouth off, teasing with his tongue all the way. “Are you sure about that?”

Tony growled low in his throat. “Top nightstand drawer. Get it for me.”

He slid up on the bed and found the lube bottle exactly where Tony had put it before Peter arrived. He handed it to him.

“Now on top of me. No, not like that, turn around. Upside down. So you can go back to what you were doing, and I can see that cute little hole of yours.”

“Like this Mister Stark?” Peter said, stretching himself along Tony’s body and nuzzling against the man’s erection.

Tony swatted his behind. “Brat. Yes, like that.” The bottle had a flip top, so opening it was a one-handed job. Getting it on his fingers took some figuring out. Eventually he settled on letting the slick drip down the crack of Peter’s ass. He dropped the bottle onto the bed and caught the rivulet of lube on his fingers. “I turned you in that direction for a reason, Peter,” Tony said, a note of warning in his voice.

“Yes sir,” Peter said and wrapped his mouth around Tony’s cock again.

“Better. If we’re playing games, remember, I don’t like bratty boys. Bratty boys get fucked but don’t get to come until much later in the game.”

“I’ll be good, Mister Stark,” Peter said, taking a breath before resuming his attentions to Tony’s cock.

“I know you can be a very good boy for me,” Tony said, sliding his index finger over Peter’s hole. He circled it with the tip, teasing the boy, waiting to hear that catch in his breath before pushing it in. This was something he was used to doing right handed, but was happy to find out that his left worked just as well. “Mmm. You’re so tight. Relax babydoll. Stop sucking if you have to to breathe through it. It’s okay. Gotta start all over again with training you. Not complaining though. It was so much fun the first time.”

Tony moved his finger slowly in and out, but when he tried to put a second one in, he could tell that there wasn’t nearly enough lube on it. He was annoyed with his lack of a second hand. Things would be so much easier once he had a proper prosthesis built. He’d have to start working on it first thing. Okay, maybe second thing. Right after he fucked Peter. He slid his finger out and reached for the bottle of lube, squeezing more of it, running all three of his fingers through it, then repeating until his hand was very slick. One more messy squeeze so that he could push some of it up into Peter with his index finger.

Peter took the break as an opportunity to tease Tony again with his tongue, licking all around the head of the man’s cock. Tony hissed from the stimulation.

“Easy baby. Been a long time for me since anyone’s done that,” he said, as getting a blow job was something not on his and Pepper’s usual routine since she didn’t care for doing it. “You’re getting so good at teasing me. Think I’m gonna have to tease you some right back.” He worked his index finger back into Peter. “Let’s see… hmm… right about…” Peter moaned loudly. “There,” Tony said with a grin. He stroked Peter inside once more, taking the spike in pleasure as an opportunity to slip a second finger inside.

“Oh Mister Stark!”

“Make you feel full, baby boy? You’re so tight for me. Gotta loosen you up to take my cock. You want that, Peter?”

“Yes sir!” he moaned enthusiastically. “I need you to open me up and fill me with your cock Mister Stark.”

Tony moved his fingers in and out a while longer before spreading them and sliding outwards so that the spread of them would stretch Peter’s rim. He twisted his wrist and Peter writhed his hips, rubbing his cock on his chest.

“Mmm baby. You’re hard already, just from my two fingers.” How did he possibly live for five years without feeling Peter like this? How had he forgotten how beautiful Peter was, spread out for him? He pushed his fingers in deep and crooked them, dragging them across Peter’s prostate as he pulled his hand back again. “Messy boy. Dripping all over me. Showing me how much you need to get fucked.” He repeated the move, but this time after the stimulation, he widened his fingers again and twisted his wrist back and forth quicker. His fingers were spread as wide as they could go. He folded his third finger underneath the second and when he pushed in again, Peter spread wider easily. 

Peter took his mouth off Tony’s cock and pressed his face against it, whimpering. “So full…”

“Oh sweetheart. How are you going to take my cock if three fingers have you full?” He fucked Peter with his fingers, teasing lightly across his prostate with the middle one until he could flatten them out. 

“Need you, Tony,” Peter whimpered.

“Not Mister Stark anymore?” Tony teased, spreading his fingers just a little bit.

“No.”

“Good. I like it when you use my name.” He bent his head forward and kissed the cheek of Peter’s ass. “We’re both going to be Mister Stark soon. It’ll get confusing.”

Peter giggled until Tony widened his fingers apart, then his laughter turned into a desperate moan. 

Tony stretched his fingers while turning his wrist, watching Peter’s hole open wider. A more beautiful sight he didn’t think he’d ever seen. “Think you’re about ready to ride me?”

“Really? I can do that?”

“Um hmm. I’d love it if you did. I wanna watch you fuck yourself on my cock. Wanna see you take yourself apart for me. Show me how much you want it.”

“Yeah,” Peter breathed out. Peter turned around and straddled Tony, raised up on his knees, hovering above the man’s erection. Tony swiped his slick hand over his cock which was already wet from Peter sucking on it.

“I’m gonna hold myself here. You just settle down on it.”

Peter started to do that, but hesitated when he felt the head of Tony’s cock press against his opening.

Tony dragged his cock across it. Peter whimpered and squirmed. “Okay, maybe I’ll tease you a bit first. See how long you can stand it,” Tony said grinning.

Peter swatted his chest. “You’re awful!”

“Uh huh,” he said, dragging his cock across Peter’s hole and letting it catch on his rim. “You want it, you’re going to have to take it.”

“Want it, Tony… want you so bad! I feel so empty.”

“Go on then baby. I know you can do it, kid.” 

“Call me kid again and I’ll tickle you.”

Tony laughed. “And exactly who will you be punishing then, huh? I can just go jerk off in the shower. But what did I tell you about bratty boys?”

“Tony!” Peter said, whining out the name.

“Come on, babydoll. Just breathe, like I taught you last time.”

Peter closed his eyes and bit his lip in concentration as he lowered himself just far enough to feel the press of Tony’s cock start to part him. Then he opened his eyes and breathed in, slowly releasing the breath and pushing himself farther down Tony’s cock until he felt the ridge of the head slide in and he closed just below it.

“Fuck Peter. So good. That’s it baby. Take it. Swallow me inside you until I’m splitting you open”

“You…” Peter sank down further. “Have…” A little bit more. “A very…” He _ had _ to be almost all the way down, surely. “Distinctive…” He squirmed his hips and lowered more, still not having Tony all the way inside him yet. “Way…” He grinned. “Of Talking… Oh fuck! Oh god.” He felt his ass settle on Tony’s hips and he giggled. “Dirty.”

“I love you. Bet you never heard that on any of those tapes you used to jack off to in your little bunk bed, getting come all over that poster of me.”

“Oh Tony…” he moaned as he rose up on his knees before settling down again. “Shut up!” Peter ground his hips in a circle and balanced himself on Tony’s chest.

“Hnng…” Tony bit back whatever he was planning to say.

“Speechless already?” Peter said, sliding up a little to raise himself up Tony’s cock. He pushed back down.

“Baby, you’re so tight and hot you could drive any man to distraction.”

“Gonna ride you.”

“Make yourself feel good on my cock, babydoll.”

Peter sat up across Tony’s hips again. He held onto the man’s sides. He was a little over-gentle with the right side at first, but Tony had said it didn’t hurt, so he balanced the pressure to keep himself upright.

It was a relief that Peter wasn’t handling him with kid gloves. Amazing, actually. He had a hard time believing that the kid didn’t see him as damaged as he felt, but he was good at not showing it at least. Tony regretted the thought as soon as he had it. Peter might be mature for his age, and have experience with the superhero stuff, but he was still a kid. Not someone who would be capable of that much duplicitousness. 

“I love you,” Tony said again.

Peter leaned over, which raised him almost off Tony’s cock, and kissed the man. “Love you so much,” he whispered against Tony’s lips before sitting back and taking Tony into himself again. “You feel so good.”

“You look beautiful, wrecking yourself. Show off for me. Make yourself feel so good that you come all over me.”  
  
Peter’s cock had softened when he first sat on Tony, but now he was hard again without even touching himself. He doubted he could come untouched like the time before when Tony was on top of him, fucking him hard. But it felt so good like this. He could take it as slow as he wanted, drawing out the sensation of being filled then being parted again. He tried going a little faster once he was fully adjusted to the feeling. That felt even better.

Peter was a vision. His face was screwed up as he tried to work out what he was doing. His body was displayed where Tony could watch every muscle ripple, watch every bob of the boy’s cock against his stomach, watch him break out in a fine sweat, his curly hair getting damp with the exertion of riding his cock. But the way the boy felt around him… that was taking every bit of Tony’s experience and self-control not to rush things and grab Peter by the hips to fuck up into him. Oh. He couldn’t do that anymore, could he? The realization wasn’t quite enough to make him falter. Feeling Peter around him was so strong that his moment of self doubt passed. He started watching Peter again, reminding himself that this was something he could do. He could stay hard and let Peter enjoy himself. Which wasn’t so bad if the kid looked like _ this _doing it.

“Tony,” Peter said, leaning over to kiss him again. “Get out of your head and fuck me.”

“Whatever you want, baby. I just don’t know…”

Peter grabbed Tony’s hand and put it on his hip. “Fuck me dammit.”

Tony laughed. “Where did you learn how to be a bossy bottom.”

“PornHub.”

“Jeez Petey, is there anything you _ can’t _ learn on the internet?” He closed his fingers around Peter’s hip, probably a little too tightly, but no complaint came. He pressed his heels into the mattress and raised his hips. The leverage from his feet was just the thing missing from his previous equation. It _ was _possible for him to give Peter exactly what he was asking for. “That’s it baby,” Tony said. “When I’m up into you, do that thing with your hips against me again. Trust me, it’ll feel…”

“Oh fuck!” Peter shouted as he did what Tony suggested.

“Baby, you are incredible. Now lean forward. On top of me. I was going to watch you fuck yourself but you’re too fuckin’ beautiful like that. I can’t stand it.” Tony frowned when Peter did that. Something didn’t feel right. “Wait, Petey. Sit back again for a second. That’s it. Now squirt some of that lube into my hand.”

Peter did, questioning what Tony was planning. His question was answered as Tony’s hand circled his cock, stroked it a few times, making it slick. 

“There. Now you won’t chafe while I make you come.” Tony started slowly, just rocking his hips up into Peter. The motion moved the boy back and forth across his chest. His cock slid easily with the lube on it while it was trapped between their stomachs.

“Oh,” Peter said, realizing what was happening. “That’s… nice.”

“Gets nicer,” Tony said with a sharp snap of his hips that moved Peter bodily.

“Too rough, baby?”

“Oh god no! Do it again.”

“I live to please,” Tony said, kissing the side of Peter’s face. He pressed up on his heels sharply again and was gratified with loud whimper against his neck. Peter had settled his face into _ that _ side of his neck. He felt that he should be concerned about it, but at that precise moment, as he drove into Peter steadily, repeatedly, he really didn’t care. You had to be able to have conscious thought to care and that ability was leaving him fast he fucked into his boy. His lost boy. His lost boy found again.

Peter slid his arms underneath Tony’s shoulders to hold on. He knew he should be more careful of his right arm, but he had a feeling that a lot of the ‘feels weird’ was mostly in Tony’s head. He crooked his fingers over the muscles of the top of Tony’s shoulders and held on for dear life as the man drove into him, pushing him up, sliding his cock between them. He hadn’t thought he could come without jerking off while on top, but it felt like he would be. Soon.

“Oh god Tony. Tony. Tony,” Peter repeated the man’s name over and over like a whimpered prayer. He kissed the side of Tony’s neck, or tried to. Most times he just managed to drag his lips, open mouthed across his skin. It caused a curious sensation that he liked. The ridges of the scars stimulated his sensitive bottom lip. He panted against the back of Tony’s ear. He knew, from the doctor’s daily texts, that it had been reconstructed. It didn’t matter. It was still sensitive and he saw Tony break out in gooseflesh on the unmarred skin of his neck and chest. 

“Fuck me Tony. I’m so close. Fuck me hard. Wanna _ feel _ you.”

It was the encouragement he needed. He felt Peter’s hands holding onto his shoulders tightly and trusted it was tight enough to keep the boy in position. He let go of the boy’s hip, used his hand flat on the mattress to provide additional leverage, and fucked upward as fast and hard as he could.

Peter keened. It was beautiful. Tony didn’t care who heard his baby boy scream. He pulled almost all the way out and drove in hard. Another scream. Twice more he wrested screams from Peter, the last one, his name. Tony felt the wetness between them.

Knowing Peter would be sensitive for awhile. Tony only rocked his hips back and forth slowly and shallowly. Just enough to keep himself hard, not that he thought there was much of a chance of him losing it because Peter’s screams… those could fuel a thousand and one nights of sexual fantasies.

Even the slow movement was too much for Tony. He usually needed much harder fucking to make himself come. But slow like this, his orgasm came on him languidly at first, then when he pushed himself in all the way… it was absolutely overwhelming.

With his softening cock trapped and sensitive between them. Peter rolled to Tony’s right side and nestled himself against him. Tony reached across to brush Peter’s hair away from his face.

“I made a mess of you,” Peter said.

Tony reached across his stomach with two fingers, dragging them through said mess before slipping them into his mouth. “You’re delicious.” Peter blushed. “I need a shower though.”

“Okay. I’ll go put the breakfast mess back onto the tray, set it in the hallway, and then take mine.”

Tony smiled as he sat up. “Honey, I’m sure the butler did all that while we were fucking.

“The butler?” Peter squeaked. “He was out there while you had me screaming? Oh my god.” Peter’s cheeks colored.

“I assure you, working in a hotel, he’s heard far worse.” Tony tried to pull his shirt all the way off, but couldn’t manage it one handed, with the way it was pulled back over his head. He hated this part, that he had to ask for help. “Baby? You got my shirt tangled. Could you…”

“Oh, sure.” He pulled the t-shirt back over Tony’s head and then off completely. It was the first time he got a good look at what little was left of the man’s right arm. He’d seen it a little last night, but he was too involved with the fact that he had Tony back to notice, and the man had covered it with the pajamas quickly. Peter tried not to let it show, but despite having seen the bandages many times in the hospital, it was still disconcerting to look down and not see Tony’s arm there. The scars on his shoulder didn’t bother him, but the fact that most of Tony’s arm simply wasn’t where it should have been… that was hard to comprehend. 

He remembered how the inner sheath of the gauntlet looked, burning its way through Tony’s body. How strong he looked facing down Thanos, declaring himself to be better than him, snapping his fingers and saving the world. He kissed Tony’s shoulder. “You are amazing, Tony. So fucking strong. So beautiful. You saved us all and you survived. You died a few minutes, but then the arc reactor glowed again dimly. The nanites retracted and I saw you take a breath. You were alive. I knew I was going to get you back. That we’d have this again. That you were so fucking strong and you were going to come back. You came back to me. Baby I love you so much. It’s a miracle.”

Tony took a deep shuddering breath. Tears were in his eyes. “I don’t deserve you. How can you be so perfect?”

“I’m not perfect Tony. Not at all. I just love you, that’s all. I love you with everything I am. I fought so hard to stay, to not go, to hold you as I felt myself fade. I felt my body… disappear and it hurt so much to leave you. I tried to stay because I knew you needed me as much as I needed you. Still need you. Only you.”

Tony twisted around to hold Peter. His tears were falling freely. He didn’t care. These last two days with Peter were the first time he’d cried. Not when he lost Peter. He couldn’t let himself mourn. But now, now they were together and safe, it seemed all that bottled up emotion was right on the surface. Peter was holding him and the boy was truth personified. If Peter said he was beautiful, he was beautiful. If Peter said he was strong, he was strong. He had no choice but to believe him.

“Peter, you shook me to my core the night you gave yourself to me. And now… God. I’m a wreck, I really am. But when you say you love me, it’s everything. All I want is for you to be mine and for me to be yours.” He cupped Peter’s face and pulled him in for a long, slow kiss.

“Go shower,” Peter said, once they parted. “Since you said the dining room is already cleaned up, I’m gonna straighten up the bedroom so it’s not a mess when the maid comes.” Peter laughed. “God, you’re spoiling me. A butler, maids, breakfast, the fucking Ritz Carlton.”

Tony got up and headed to the en suite. He grinned back at Peter. “Baby, I’m never going to stop spoiling you rotten.”

After they had both showered and dressed, they went out into the living room of the suite. Tony had Peter help him drag a big box out of the closet and set up the electronics he’d had in the hospital.

“FRIDAY. Nice to have you back with us.”

“Good to be back, boss. How can I help you?”

“First, can you track down Leo Fitz? Tell him I want to consult with him. I know SHIELD keeps him busy, but as soon as he can.” Tony turned to Peter. “When Coulson lost his lower arm, Fitz made him a prosthesis that’s virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. I’m still not sure what direction I want to go with mine. I’d kinda not like it to be covered in synthskin. There’s something about that… It’s a lie. I don’t know if you can understand that. You’d probably prefer the real thing, or at least something that looks real.”

Peter thought a minute. “Tony, whatever it is that makes you feel more comfortable. I remember Doctor Cho telling me you should be able to have feeling in it. That would be nice. I’d like it if you could feel me when you touch me. I think you would too. Can you still do that with whatever it is you’re planning to build?”

“Yeah. It’s weird but I can always feel the nanites of my suit. Not directly. Like I can’t feel it when the suit gets hit or damaged, unless it’s a lot of damage. But the nanites are tied into my mind. They go where I tell them to go. When I was fighting Thanos on Titan, all I had to do was think of which weapon I wanted to form, and it did. And when they spread over me, I don’t just feel them move, I feel them once they’ve settled into position.”

“That’s amazing Tony. When you have a lab again, I’d love it if you showed me how that works.”

“Peter, it works the same way as your suit does. I wanted to make the IronSpider something that all you had to do was have it put itself around you. It’s tied into your web shooters and the collar that joins your mask. I tied it to a mechanical device for you. My suit, it took training to use. I’ve worked with FRIDAY for years and JARVIS before that. She has some of JARVIS’ neural net, so she’s linked to me. But if you think about it, so is Karen. You said that your suit was ‘crazy intuitive’ and it is. It can’t do the tricks mine can, but when you needed your spider arms, they were there, weren’t they? They knew when to show up.”

“Yeah, they did! I never thought about it. It just happened,” Peter said, surprised at the realization.

“That’s because you’ve worked with Karen for awhile. She knows what you need and takes care of it. Like she does with your choice of which web type to use.”

“God, Tony, you’re… a fucking genius.”

Tony laughed. “Peter, when we get to our new home, I’m going to show you how everything works because I know you’ll understand. You’re a genius yourself. Happy told me how you worked on your suit in the plane. You’re brilliant, I’m brilliant, together, baby, we’re going to set the world on fire.” He leaned over and gave Peter a quick kiss. “Do you know how much I used to enjoy working with you? We sync perfectly. The way you think… you fill in all my blind spots. You just get it. You get me like no one ever did. The science, the tech, the superhero stuff… I don’t have to dumb myself down with you.”

“Hard same, Tony,” Peter said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my friends. They’re brilliant in their own way. But with you, I can go a mile a minute and you’re right there with me. God I love your brain.”

“Oh, you just love my brain?”

“No. Your cock’s gotta be right up there too,” Peter added, grinning.

“FRIDAY, bring up the drawings I was working on in the hospital.” The temporary screens they’d set up flickered to life. “Okay, see here. I don’t want the arm to be as changeable as my suit. The suit will cover it. It’s not going to be a replacement for the suit’s arm. I’ll still have to wear my watch if I want access to a repulsor. I’ll still need the nanite containment unit inside my chest.”

“_ Inside _ your chest? I thought it was outside it.”

“Yeah. About that… I want Doctor Cho to open me up again. I want the arc reactor and the nanites back to the way they used to be. A part of me. The arm’s going to be a part of me and it needs powering.” Tony paused. “Plus… I know it’s going to take some getting used to for you, but…” he shrugged his head to the side. “It was a part of me for so long… part of my body, do you understand? I actually missed seeing it there. I’ve felt like I’m not me without it.”

“I can see that. It makes sense. It’s your body. I’ve seen pictures of you with it… shirtless ones… you really are all over PornHub,” Peter said, laughing. “I think you looked hot with it. I think you look hot without it. I just think you look hot. Whatever you want to look like, I’m going to love you.”

Tony sighed. “She hated it,” he said softly. “That’s why I had it removed.”

Peter was surprised. This was the first time Tony mentioned Pepper to him. Peter hated to think badly of her, she had been nice to him, but the way Tony reacted to things, like Peter accepting his scarred body, the way he reacted when talking about how Peter loved working in the lab, and now this? He couldn’t help feeling a bit angry with her that she couldn’t accept Tony as he was. That she didn’t appreciate every part of him.

“Tony, I’m going to support you regardless. But if you honestly want to know what I think…”

“I do.”

“I agree with you. It’s a brilliant piece of technology that you invented. You discovered a new element for it. It’s a part of you. It’s how you see yourself. Part of your identity. So yeah, I’d kinda like for you to have it back. The way you said you felt like it was a part of you, I want you to feel like yourself.”

Tony smiled. Peter was the best thing that had ever happened to him. “Okay, baby, look at this,” he said, directing Peter’s attention back to the screens. “It’s kinda like the suit’s arm, but smoother. I don’t have Fitz’s files, but I think I can program the nanites to look like the synthskin. To not have the open joints that the suit has. Then I can harden them into position. Not harden exactly…”

“Program them to be fixed into a specific configuration all the time, not make them change into a weapon of some sort of protection. To just to be an arm.”

“Exactly. I’ll need to do some work on them to hold the configuration once I’m in a lab again and not trying to work on an incomplete version of FRIDAY.”

“What about the machine I used on the plane to build my suit?”

“Yes! See? You’re brilliant. I’ll have them empty the second bedroom of the suite. Get Happy and some of the SI techs to take it out of the plane. It’s not going to be as functional as a full fabrication lab would be, but I can make something with it.”

They worked all morning. The butler came in to ask them if they wanted lunch, but Peter, who was working on the aesthetics of the fingers waved him away while Tony was working on the inside of the machinery. It wasn’t until Tony noticed it was getting dark outside that he suggested dinner. They ordered room service again. Tony apologized. He wasn’t feeling up to the public scrutiny of going down to the restaurant yet. Peter said that was okay because their secret relationship was still supposed to be secret and if they both went downstairs together, all the attention would blow it.

“Monday, I’ll call Columbia. You won’t have much left of your summer break, though. You’ll start this fall.”

“You can do it that fast?”

Tony laughed. “You’d be surprised how quickly money can make things move. Honestly, I never gave a damn about my net worth, other than how fast it could make things happen. When I lost control of SI, it was infuriating. Waiting. I hate it.”

“I’ll make you take me to DisneyWorld,” Peter teased, “and I won’t let you buy the place out for the day. I’ll make us wait in line like everyone else.”

“Why would you torture me like that? I thought you loved me,” Tony teased back. “I’m going to make you my sugar baby whether you like it or not.”

“Tony! It’s never going to happen.”

“So do you want to start Columbia in the fall?”

“It’s just… it’s such short notice. I haven’t picked out classes, gotten books, or anything. And fall semester is just two weeks away, isn’t it?”

Tony pulled up Columbia’s schedule on the screen and nodded. “While I’m working after dinner, you pick out your classes. I’ll make sure a spot is opened for you. What were you planning on majoring in?”

“I don’t know. Chemistry? Biomedical engineering? I think there could be a medical use for the web fluid.”

Tony nodded. “I could see that. This first semester, you’ll have to get your 100s and 200s taken care of anyway, so start with that. You should jump straight to 200 in chemistry. 100’s going to be a waste of your time.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so. Baby, you invented the web fluid in a high school lab and you understand how it works; it wasn’t just an accident. You pick the courses that sound like what you’d be qualified in and let me worry about the rest.”

Peter looked nervous.

“I’m doing it, aren’t I?” Tony asked. “Running roughshod over your life. Sorry. It’s just that I know the academic scene. I remember what I had to do to jump ahead at MIT after boarding school, how I had to fight to get the classes I needed instead of the bullshit they wanted to put me through. I was able to do it on sheer dumb luck and pigheadedness. But you? You’re sweet. You’re not as obnoxious and pushy as I was. I promise, I’m not going to do anything other than pull strings to get you in this semester What you do after that, is all on you. You’ll have to prove yourself to your professors. You decide how many hours you want to take. If you want to graduate early or enjoy your undergrad years. If you want to take summer courses or if you want to spend it on my yacht in the Med.”

“Yacht?” His voice cracked high and Tony laughed. “I… whatever.” He held up his hands in front of him and shook his head. “School,” he insisted, pulling the focus back down. “You’re doing so much for me by getting me in. I feel bad jumping ahead.”

“Never feel bad about being brilliant, Peter. That’s who you are. You got this amazing brain, who knows how, who knows why — I never cared for philosophical arguments — all I know is you have to use it.”

“Okay. I was bored I was all through high school. It’d be nice not to have to go through that anymore.”

“Great. Dessert? I ordered cheesecake brought in from Junior’s.”

Tony’s insistence on pulling strings to get whatever big or minor thing he wanted was baffling. But he had to admit it was the best cheesecake he’d ever tasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah! Tony keeps repeating himself, but every time I go to edit and cut it, he tells me, "No, I have to make sure Peter knows how much I love him, and I have to keep giving him an out because he's amazing and I'm... so not."
> 
> So forgive me the repeats on certain themes. I promise I'll get to the plot eventually.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony drove Peter to campus, blatantly parking in a no parking zone. Tony scribbled a messy left-handed note and stuck it under the wipers of the Audi. “I’m Tony Stark. Fuck you.” Which sent Peter into peels of laughter. He swore they would return to a ticket, but the STARK1 license plate did the trick, at which Peter declared him insufferable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new home. A date. College begins. All is well.
> 
> There is some discussion in this chapter about how Tony became an addict. But no drug use. Just wanted to warn everyone. Plot is beginning. Slow to develop because these are stubborn boys and want their happiness.

Peter called May and told her he’d be staying at the hotel. He’d come home next weekend because Tony was supposed to have Morgan. He told her the news about Columbia. And that once classes started in two weeks, he’d be staying wherever Tony was full time, but he’d still come visit every Sunday and whenever Tony had Morgan. They wanted to avoid having Pepper know about their relationship for a little while longer, until things had cooled off between her and Tony.

At the hotel Tony and Peter fell into a routine. During the day, Tony worked on his arm design. He sent Peter the notes he’d made when he was developing the nanotech tso he could understand the theory behind it. In three days Tony made his first prototype prosthesis in the plane’s fabrication machine. It was clumsy, but it gave him an idea of what to fix in it. By the end of the week, he had something that was better but still wasn’t able to move under its own power. The joints were clumsy and had to be moved manually with his other hand. While it had nothing to do with his Iron Man suit, he couldn’t resist still making it gold and hot rod red. It was him more than synthskin ever would be. 

At night, they dirtied the sheets for the maid to clean the next morning. Tony discovered he was more capable than he thought. They figured out new ways to make old positions work. Sometimes it still happened that one or both of them fell into their emotions and cried at being together again. The separation, loss, and reunion was just too overwhelming.

The following Monday morning, Tony took Morgan to her nanny at Pepper’s new Tribeca brownstone. Peter came home, which was what they thought of the hotel penthouse. Tony drove Peter to campus, blatantly parking in a no parking zone. Tony scribbled a messy left-handed note and stuck it under the wipers of the Audi. “I’m Tony Stark. Fuck you.” Which sent Peter into peels of laughter. He swore they would return to a ticket, but the STARK1 license plate did the trick, at which Peter declared him insufferable. No less than the vice chancellor of the university gave Peter a personal campus tour, showing him where all his classes would be — of course he got every one he wanted. After, they went out to eat at an Italian place near the school. Where they got noticed.

Inside the restaurant, the staff and patrons were decent about not swarming him and Peter. But the news went out on Twitter where he was and outside was another matter. Reporters and curious bystanders surrounded the place. Tony quickly dropped his hand from the small of Peter’s back. The questions came flying. How was he doing? Had he moved back to New York? What was he doing at Columbia (they’d been spotted)? How was Spider-Man adjusting to his new life as an official Avenger? Were they a team-up? Were they something more? Was Spider-Man the reason for Tony’s divorce?

At that question, Tony began answering some of the others to take the attention off of Peter. He was doing fine. He was helping his intern get settled in at Columbia, giving references to his professors. Of course they were a team, just like all the Avengers were. Any questions about that should go to HQ where Sam Wilson, as the new Captain America, would answer them. They were just out for dinner, celebrating Peter entering college, early entrant because he was so brilliant. He could easily be the next Tony Stark and Tony had every intention of snapping him up for Stark Industries as soon as he graduated. Meanwhile, he’d appreciate it if the press laid off so Peter could study and enjoy the life of an undergrad, same as any other. He had purchased a building in Manhattan and he’d be moving his personal labs into it. That would be his new home. SI was still looking for a permanent home now that the old tower belonged to Norman Osborn. The details of any new build still had to be worked out. Meanwhile they were renting office space somewhere. No, he wasn’t sure where. He wasn’t ready to go back to work at SI yet. Those questions should go to Ms. Potts. Mr. Parker had agreed to continue working as Tony’s personal lab assistant in exchange for class credit. They had a lot of work to catch up on. Now if they could please get on with their evening. 

Tony pressed a button on the key fob and the Audi drove itself into the valet space in front of the restaurant, scattering some of the onlookers. He and Peter got in, then Tony polarized the windows so the photographers’ cameras wouldn’t be able to get a clear shot.

“Oh god Tony. Did you hear that question?”

“Yes. And I handled it, baby. I noticed one photographer caught us through the restaurant window and another, I think, saw me touching you. FRIDAY’s working on IDing them and the reporter with the question. I’ll call his editor when we get back to the hotel. I still have a PR department at SI that used to handle these things, but they work under Pepper, so that’s not an option. I may get in touch with that firm Jeri used during the divorce and hire them for my personal PR. I don’t have time to fuck with all this and I don’t want you to worry.”

“I know we said we’d keep it a secret, but eventually…”

“Whenever you’re ready. This is on your time schedule, baby.”

“Let me start school first.”

“That makes sense. They’re going to be following you around for a few weeks once we go public, even though I told them not to. But they’ll get bored. Something new will happen in the news cycle and they’ll move on.”

“You sure?” Peter sighed. 

Tony looked at him sympathetically. He’d lived his life for so long under the microscope. This was all new for Peter. “Yes. Every time I’ve had a scandal, a couple of weeks and they were busy harassing someone else.”

The last week in the hotel flew by. Happy drove Peter to school every day and Tony signed the papers on his new building in Morningside Heights. Movers were arranged to empty Tony’s things out of the lake house so it could be sold and the proceeds divided by the divorce settlement. Three days into Peter’s school year, Tony checked out of the hotel. When Happy picked up Peter from Columbia, he dropped him off at a tall, narrow, bright white building only two blocks away from campus. Tony was waiting in the lobby.

“The place is a mess from me kicking out the old tenants, but the penthouse is furnished with the things from the old tower. So there’s a clean place for us to live.”

“Is there a bed?” Peter asked, smirking.

“Yep. And I had the maid service put fresh sheets on it.”

“Maid service?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how to make a bed, remember?”

Peter laughed. “Oh my god Tony! How did you get to the age you are?”

“I hired people?” he answered. “I don’t know. My assistant handled all that. I had to actually look up a maid service on the internet and call them today.”

“A harrowing experience, I’m sure.”

Tony led Peter to the elevator and pressed PH. “Welcome home, baby.”

Peter gaped. The room was floor to ceiling windows with a 360 view of the city. 

“This is the living area. Kitchen and dining are over there. It’s all open plan. We can change that if you want to. Bedrooms are downstairs by a staircase or the private elevator.

“Tony… I can’t live here!”

“Okay. I did kinda buy it without consulting you. I’m sorry. It’ll take awhile to sell again, but then we can look for a place you’d prefer.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. It’s… it’s too much. This is… fuck. This is some millionaire’s place.”

“Billionaire, actually. You couldn’t buy this building with just a million. I’m sorry Petey. If it’s any consolation, the footprint is a lot smaller than the Stark Tower was. I know you only saw the labs there and they were crowded and looked smaller than they were. And you saw the bedroom, which, y’know, was just a bedroom.”

“Tony, this is beautiful. It’s just going to take me a little time to actually believe that I’m going to live here. You could fit five of May’s whole apartment in here.” 

“Come with me downstairs. The floor below the bedrooms is being set up as our lab.”

“Really?” Peter asked, perking up.

“It’s a mess of boxes right now. Everything from my garage and the basement at the lake house is there, and some of the SI stuff from storage. Plus the stuff that was left from Malibu. Dum-E’s there,” he added with a grin. “The cars, the few I was able to replace, are in the lowest level of the garage, it’s private and there’s a workshop being setup there. A bunch of SI people are handling that, but I don’t trust them with the lab. So come help me start unpacking. Then we’ll go get dinner, then you can do your homework, then, finally, I can fuck you senseless.”

“Mmm. Sounds like a perfect plan.”

They managed to unpack all of FRIDAY’s servers first. Tony went crazy cabling them all up. While he was making a mess of the wires, Peter looked up neat cabling methods on youtube and followed behind Tony, making the system look pretty and actually be functional if something ever went wrong.

“Nothing goes wrong when I do it,” Tony insisted. Peter called bullshit and Tony sheepishly admitted he was right. “That’s what the bots are for though.”

“Tony, you only have Dum-E here in one piece. Are you going to trust him to cable this correctly?”

“Yikes. Okay, baby. Work your cable magic.” He sighed. “Last time I just called Larry from Oracle in to deal with these servers.”

“Larry? As in Ellison? The  _ owner  _ of Oracle?”

“Yeah, who else?”

“Wow.”

Tony laughed at Peter’s reaction. “Oh baby. I can’t wait to introduce you to everyone as my beautiful fiance. Who do you want to meet? I’ll make sure they’re on the guest list when we announce our engagement.”

“Tony please. I’m trying to get over the fact that… fuck… Do you know Elon Musk?”

“Sure. Met him last in Monaco, but I’m sure we can hook up again. In fact, I’m kind of in debt to him for some VC I needed while I was in the hospital. I owe him one of my Tinker Toys projects for SpaceX.”

Peter shook his head. “This is… impossible.”

“Baby, this is your world now. You are going to graduate and then you will totally be in league with the rest of us. That web fluid… when you perfect that? You have no idea how brilliant that is. And that’s not the only thing you’ll create. Don’t sell yourself short. You’re going to be rich in your own right.”

“I can’t…” Peter collapsed down on one of the chairs that was still wrapped in its plastic.

Tony crouched down next to him. “Look, don’t think of all that. I certainly don’t. These are just people I know. Just people. Some are nicer than others, some are snobs, some are shitheads, some are down to earth. The money, the running of things? You’ll have people to do that, same as I do. You’ll be as involved in all that as you want to be. If you’re like me, you’ll stay in the lab and make things that other people will turn into little green paper tokens to make life easier for you to invent more things and to have fun. That’s all it is, just on a big scale.”

“You’ve always lived like this though.”

“As an adult, I have. Before that? Everything was Howard’s and he never let you forget that. I mean… the pressure was…,” he shook his head, “relentless. All those things you got to do growing up? Running around the city, making friends, having fun, being a kid? I have no idea what that’s like. None. When I finally got away from him and went to MIT? My life imploded. Remember how I said I was an addict? Yeah. That’s what happened. I thought I’d finally gotten away from him and he was trying to make sure I didn’t, and I couldn’t deal. The only reason I lucked out at school with the grades and graduating early is because I’ve got one of those messed up brains that can be totally numb and still function.” 

Tony smiled. “You, baby, you’re going to work your ass off at Columbia. You’re going to make friends. You’re going to have fun. And me, I’m going to bust my ass to protect you from all the shit that the world is going to try to throw at you. I promise you that. I’m going to take care of you. So stop worrying about this. I know it’s hard. It’s a culture shock. You can come and vent to me about it, complain all you want, tell me I’m an ass, an idiot, awful, whatever. But baby, I’m going to keep you safe, okay?”

Peter nodded. “Okay.”

“Right now, all you need to worry about is what you want for dinner. Out or in?”

“Can we go out?”

“Sure. What are you in the mood for?”

“Actually, there’s this deli in Queens. I haven’t been there since high school let out. There was that horrible vacation, then all this. Can we go there and get some sandwiches?”

“Absolutely. Happy’s over at your aunt’s, so I’m driving. You don’t know how to drive, do you?” Peter shook his head. “Oh man. Gotta teach you that. We’ve got the upper garage for you to practice in.”

Tony drove them to Delmar’s. The man absolutely freaked at having Iron Man in his store. Tony signed a menu and let Peter order for him while he petted the cat.

“Can we get a cat?” Peter asked.

“I love ‘em, but the fur and the equipment don’t mix.”

“What if I keep him upstairs?”

“Have you ever  _ tried  _ to keep a cat from going where it’s not supposed to? The one I had on Long Island lasted three weeks before he snuck out of my room and got into Howard’s stuff. Mom had to find a new home for him.”

“Murphy stays put,” Peter argued.

“Murphy’s an old boy, aren’t you,” Tony cooed, petting the cat on the counter some more. “All he wants is to stay put right here where the heat of the display case’s light is.”

“When he was a kitten, he used to tear the place up,” Delmar explained. “I was always chasing him down. He learned quick though. Here’s your sandwiches. I hope you like them, Mister Stark.”

“Tony, please. I’m sure I will, Peter assures me they’re the best in Queens.”

“That they are,” the man said confidently.

“We passed a little park coming off the freeway, wanna take these over there?” Tony asked Peter.

“Yeah. Lemme grab some drinks.”

The park wasn’t anything like the ones Tony knew in Manhattan. It was run down, more concrete than grass, with a playground for little kids and baseball diamonds for the older ones. But there were benches and the occasional spot of shade. It was a warm fall afternoon, still bright out, and perfect for an impromptu picnic.

Peter and Tony sat close to each other. They shared their sandwiches, Tony wanting to try each kind. He agreed with Peter’s assessment of Delmar's. He’d only had as good from a tiny place in L.A. that he used to sneak down to when he was avoiding Obie. 

They talked about Peter’s classes and professors, which ones he’d taken a liking to already, which ones seemed easy, which ones seemed hard. He loved chemistry class. He was learning so much theory. Things he only intuitively guessed at when designing the web fluid. He was certain that by the end of the semester, he’d be able to make improvements on it.

Tony listened, delighting in watching Peter’s enthusiasm. Chemistry wasn’t his field, so he had plenty of questions, nodding as each was answered. He followed along because Peter was great at breaking things down and explaining them. They seemed to be alone, away from the crowds that might recognize Iron Man or Spider-Man. Tony reached out to hold Peter’s hand. He smiled softly.

“This is nice. I’m glad you suggested coming to Delmar’s.”

Peter smiled in return, running his thumb over the back of Tony’s hand. “What do you think about the start of next month? I’ll be well into my courses by then and if things get dicey, I’d be okay with a bodyguard, just until they calmed down, as long as whoever you got was, like, not pushy about it.”

“Baby, you know I’ve been dying to tell the world how much I love you. By then, this thing,” he raised his prosthesis, which still moved a bit clumsily, “should be working properly. And yes, you having a bodyguard would make me a lot less worried. Like you said, just while the media is going crazy.”

“So, first of October, we tell everyone.”

“What do you want to tell them? That we’re dating or that we’re engaged?”

Peter smiled widely. “Engaged.”

“Mmm. Fantastic. We can get married and I can take you on a honeymoon over winter break.”

“Oh my god, Tony,” Peter said leaning over and kissing the man on the cheek. “We’re really going to do this.”

“Yep, baby. You’re going to be mine finally, future Mister Stark.”

Peter laughed. “Absolutely, Mister Stark.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony called the nearby diner and had them send up breakfast. Peter woke to the smell of bacon and eggs and maple syrup for the waffles.
> 
> “Tony, you shouldn’t have. I’m going to be late for class.”
> 
> “Sit and eat. You don’t have class today.”
> 
> “I do.”
> 
> Tony shook his head once Peter sat down and started in on breakfast. “We’re going to have to go public a lot sooner than October first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dum dum dum... the plot begins.

Looking back on it, Tony should’ve known better. Everyone and their brother had a smartphone, many of them his own productions. By morning, it was all over Twitter. The intimate picnic, the peck on the cheek, the smiles and hand holding. 

The comments were… disastrous was putting it mildly. About one in ten had good things to say. #IronSpider was a bottom level trending tag. People were calling it their 'ship name', not knowing that Peter's suit was called that. Nine out of ten of those comments though were less than good, and a fair share of them were worse than that. The dreaded P words were trending higher, attached to Tony’s name. Worse than that, and the reason he hid Peter’s phone before the boy woke up, was #golddigger.

Tony called the nearby diner and had them send up breakfast. Peter woke to the smell of bacon and eggs and maple syrup for the waffles.

“Tony, you shouldn’t have. I’m going to be late for class.”

“Sit and eat. You don’t have class today.”

“I do.”

Tony shook his head once Peter sat down and started in on breakfast. “We’re going to have to go public a lot sooner than October first.”

Peter furrowed his brow. “Why?”

“We were spotted yesterday. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have held your hand. I was… I just wanted us to have a nice day out together.” 

“Where’s my phone,” he asked, looking on the end table where he dropped his keys and things coming into the house.

“You don’t want to see it. Not yet.”

Peter winced. “That bad?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry baby.”

“It’s okay. I had a great time yesterday. It was worth it.”

“You might not say that once you see Twitter. It’s not good. It’s vicious.”

Peter sucked in his lips. “I thought people would be happy for us.”

Tony barked a laugh. “Not even close. But we’re going to finish breakfast, shower, get dressed, just like normal. Then I’m going to get on the phone and start making the call rounds. You should call May and your friends. Nobody else. Don’t answer any calls, only make them. And stay off Twitter. You’ll be tempted to engage and that’ll only make things worse. There is no win to an online fight.”

“Oh god Tony.”

“Yeah. What this is… it kinda makes Quentin Beck’s accusation seem like a wonderful day. That I could prove wrong. This…” Tony sighed. “This is true. There’s no denials, only damage control.”

Peter could hardly eat after that. He excused himself to shower and dress. Tony’s first call, ignoring all the notifications on his phone, was to Jeri Hogarth.

“Didn’t I say lay low?”

“I’m lawyering up. It was going to happen. We had just decided on our date to go public, in October. But now…”

“Now, it’s public today. I don’t know what I can do for you. It’s not a legal issue.”

“I know there’s no going after the papers or the photographers, but you can get an end run around the pedophile accusations. Make sure to shut all those down for libel. Call Jack Dorsey. Kill that hashtag and make him take down any tweets accusing me of that. That's not gossip, that’s a legal accusation. Absolutely no one but you and Peter’s aunt know that anything happened before he was legal age in the state of New York.”

“Okay. That’s something I can do. The rest? That’s a PR matter and you hired the best PR firm in the city away from me.”

“They’re my next call.”

“Tony, my assistant just handed me some bad news. Ms. Potts’ lawyers want a meeting.”

“Fuck.”

“Don’t worry. It’s the same story as I’ll be telling everyone else. Nothing happened before Peter was seventeen.”

“We’re engaged, if that makes any difference,” Tony said. “I was planning on marrying him right before winter break.”

“It might help a little with the PR but you’re dangerously close to Anna Nicole Smith and Howard Marshall territory with this.”

“I’m nowhere near that old and not on my deathbed.”

“You know what I mean. I saw the hashtag they’re using for Peter.”

Tony scrubbed his hand over his face. “Okay. Let me call the PR people now. You just take care of that hashtag. And keep Pepper’s lawyers spinning while I handle this.”

“Hey,” Peter said, leaning over to give Tony a kiss now that he was dressed for the day.

“Hey. I’d suggest not turning on the TV either. I haven’t yet, but I’m sure it’s not good.” Reluctantly, he handed Peter his phone. “Call May. Tell her not to answer any questions from anyone. I’m going to get Happy over there to keep the wolves from her door. Tell her not to answer it to anyone but Happy.”

Tony texted Happy, then called his PR firm. He told them to drop everything and get every person on managing this disaster. Hire more. Hire specialists. Nothing physical happened before Peter seventeen. They got engaged soon after the reverse snap and they were planning on getting married soon. They were to shut down any accusations of pedophilia and to remind people that was a legality and any use of that word would bring a lawsuit. 

As for his divorce from Ms. Potts, he told them that it had been a long time since he had been in love with her and he was planning to divorce her before the battle. He had hoped they could remain friends, but since that wasn’t to be, that they could be at least civil for Morgan’s sake, who Tony loved very much. Any attempt to intrude on his little girl’s life would be met with lawsuits.

Any other accusations were to be met only with the fact that Tony and Peter were deeply in love. The events of the Battle for Earth and Tony nearly dying made them realize how precious time was. He’d like to avoid any public appearances for him and Peter, but if that couldn’t be done, they were to find friendly outlets.

Tony’s third call was to Columbia. He wanted Peter’s class work sent to the penthouse and for him to have a week off for things to calm down. Right now, if Peter went to class, it would be a massive distraction for everyone. It helped that the chairman of the science department was a friend of a friend. Tony could hear the distaste in his voice, but the man knew on which side his bread was buttered. The week off was arranged and as much of Peter’s coursework as could be done from home would be messengered over. Tony tried to argue for the lab work to be sent as well, since he had a full lab there, but that was a no go. Lab work had to be supervised. By someone other than Peter’s boyfriend.

“Fiance, but thank you,” Tony said, ringing off.

Peter came upstairs from their bedroom with red rimmed eyes. “May’s upset. Happy got there while we were talking, but her phone’s been ringing off the hook. She doesn’t remember what she said, only that she knew we were in a relationship and that we are in love with each other. So I guess that’s good.”

“Yeah. Happy will answer her phone now that he’s there. He’ll direct any press calls to the PR firm and legal ones to Jeri. Personal calls, he’ll let her take.” Tony sighed. “You know what our story is supposed to be, right?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“We didn’t do anything physical until you were seventeen. We need to set a particular date for that. I was in the hospital, so nothing could happen until after your European vacation and birthday. I hate to have to lie, baby,” Tony said. “But what we did before then was illegal. Even if no one threw me in jail for it, it wouldn’t be good.”

“No, I understand that. It’s okay.”

“I’m not ashamed of that night. It was one of the best nights of my life. It’s just how it looks.”

“I know.” Peter paused. “I looked at my notifications.” He winced. “You don’t think I’m a…” He started crying.

Tony got up and hugged Peter close. “No baby, no. Sweetheart, no one like that would ever in a million years get as close to me as you have. Believe me, I’ve seen plenty of them try. I could never tell anyone like that that I loved them. Petey, you’re such a good person. I know that you love me. And I’ve never been in love before. I’ve liked quite a few people, most of whom betrayed me in some way. And I’ve enjoyed many more. But never love. Not even when Rhodey and I were a thing in college.”

“You and Colonel Rhodes?”

“Shh. Don’t tell him I told you. We’re past the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ era, but his career would come to a screeching halt if it ever got out, even though it was long ago. He wants those stars on his shoulder, and no one who fucked Tony Stark would get them.”

“He fucked you?” Peter asked, raising his eyebrows

Tony laughed. “Honey, I hope that you’ll get to find out what an absolute sloppy bottom I can be when you catch me in the right mood.”

“What gets you in the right mood?” Peter grinned.

“Used to take about a half bottle of scotch, a prodigious amount of coke, and maybe a bit of H to take the high down a little bit. But I don’t do any of that now.”

“So no just ‘getting you in the mood’,” Peter said, a bit disappointed.

Tony laughed. “I don’t need any of that with you, I’ve been dying to find out what that cock of yours feels like. Baby, doesn’t it feel amazing when I fuck you? Don’t you think I’d love to feel that? It’s a…,” Tony shrugged, “sensation thing. It feels good sometimes. One night, get me all relaxed and I’ll let you find out.” 

Tony’s phone made a unique chime. “That’s Hogarth. Gotta take this one.”

“She knows, Tony,” Jeri said

“Who?”

“Ms. Potts. She says she can prove you were with Peter while he was still underage.” Jeri steeled herself for the rage she figured was coming. “She wants sole custody of Morgan.”

There was no rage. Tony went white and collapsed to the floor. “No,” he whispered. “She wouldn’t.”

“She’s saying that since you’re a child molester — her words, not mine — you’re not a fit parent.”

“No.” Tony’s head started to spin. “No. Absolutely not.”

“If she does have proof…” Jeri trailed off.

“How? How can she? I wiped the servers. She’s bluffing.” He paused. “FRIDAY, search all computers, here, at SI, from the lake house, everywhere, even the internet. Find June 3rd, me and Peter, just before the snap. Find and untraceably delete. Not just a DOD wipe, make it GONE.”

“Yes boss. There’s nothing.”

“Nothing now that you’ve deleted it, or nothing before.”

“Nothing before for me to delete, boss.”

Peter knelt down beside Tony and started gently rubbing his shoulders. He knew that date. He’d never forget that date.

“She likely moved it to an offline storage device, knowing you could do that. That’s not going to help,” Jeri said.

“I can probably get to one of those before it goes to court.”

“If they prove you tampered with evidence, it’ll go worse for you.”

“Worse? How can it be worse?”

“Jail.”

“Doesn’t that require someone to complain? Peter’s aunt never would.”

“The case can be taken up by the state on behalf of the minor.”

“Jeri, you’ve got to make this go away. Whatever it takes, I don’t care. I can’t lose Morgan. She… she’ll  _ whither  _ with only Pepper raising her. Jeri, she’s  _ bright _ . She’s like me. Pepper won’t understand, won’t know what to do, how to balance normal with exceptionality. It’s already bad enough that I don’t get to see her often. It’s only going to get worse once she starts school. Pepper wanted to start her at a gifted and talented pre-K but I said no, we could handle that at home and still give her a normal… No Jeri. No.”

“Tony, I’ll do everything I can for you, you know that.”

“Gloves off. Find the dirt. Use it,” he added with a hiss.

“If there isn’t any?” she asked.

“Make it up. This can’t happen.”

“All right,” she said, hanging up.

“FRIDAY, wipe that call. Both ends. Every copy.”

“Yes boss.”

Peter sat down on the floor in front of Tony, taking both hands — flesh and metal — in his. “Ms. Potts wants to take Morgan away from you?” he asked in disbelief.

Tony nodded. “She says she has proof. That I’m…” He breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. “A child molester.”

“No. Oh god Tony, I’m so sorry. I never should’ve…”

“Stop it Peter. This isn’t your fault. It’s no one’s fault but hers. Vindictive, spiteful…” Tony shook his head. “You’d think by now I would’ve learned to spot the liars and betrayers in my life. One after another. There has to be something wrong with me. Something intrinsic. Deeply flawed beyond repair.”

“I would never betray you.”

“I know, baby,” Tony said, frightened, trying desperately to convince himself that Peter would be the exception to the rule. “Please don’t. I couldn’t take it if you did.” He knew they were coming up on a huge test for their brief relationship. If Peter decided it was easier to leave, not to deal with the press and the rumors and accusations… to lose him as well… “I’m sorry. You’re just a kid. You don’t need to be dealing with all my bullshit.”

“You just finished telling me it’s not my fault. It’s not yours either.”

Tony scoffed. “The law isn’t going to see it that way.”

“I’ll testify that it never happened. Can we say that Beck did this. Any evidence she has was his attempt to ruin you before he went for the big event.”

Tony sniffled. “That… that actually might work, if it goes that far. I doubt there’s any computer forensics person that could track the BARF framework. FRIDAY… she’s not programmed to cover for me like JARVIS was. She’s based on just a random personal assistant whereas JARVIS was based on the man who raised me, who always protected me. I’ll add to her programming.”

“We’ll figure something out. Either Jeri will or you will or I’ll testify.”

Tony nodded. He had to believe the best right now. Pull himself together and fight. Only he felt like all the air had been punched out of him. How could he fight Pepper? She’d been on the inside of his personal circle for so long. He’d let her in and now she was doing this. Just like Obie. Just like Cap. Just like the man who started it all. It had been overwhelming seeing his father again. A chance at forgiveness, of closure. But of course Howard could be genial with a stranger, a distant colleague, Howard Potts. Had Tony introduced himself as himself and explained how he got there, he doubted it would’ve gone as well.

The buzzer to the penthouse rang. Tony had hired security when he moved in, so whoever it was had to have been stopped by them. Happy had keys, so that left only one person. He picked up his phone and dialed.

“Rhodey, is that you downstairs?”

“Yeah Tones. Buzz me up, these guys won’t.”

“Sure thing.” He called down to the head of security and told them to let his friend up.

Rhodey walked in and saw Tony and Peter sitting on the floor. He knelt down beside Tony; his leg braces whirred with the effort. “You okay, Tony? I saw the news.”

Tony drew in a shuddering breath. “That’s not the worst of it.”

Peter spoke up. “Ms. Potts wants to take Morgan away.”

“Yep. I’m not a fit parent. She says she has proof.”

“Proof of what? You’re a great dad. You love that little girl.”

“Proof that Peter and I… that we got together before the snap.”

“So what?”

“I was sixteen,” Peter explained.

“Oh. Oh!” Rhodey said again, the light dawning. “Is that what that hashtag was about?”

Tony shook his head. “No. That’s just online opinion. No one else knew. Just May and my lawyer. And now Pepper says she knows. She’s got to be bluffing.”

“She would do that?” Rhodes asked.

“I don’t know,” Tony said. “Before the divorce, I would’ve said never. But now? She’s just like everyone else.”

“Not everyone, Tone. I don’t care. Peter, were you willing?”

“Absolutely. It was my idea. I convinced him.”

“That’s all I need to know. Hell, Tony, at sixteen, when I was in high school, I wasn’t a virgin, neither were you at sixteen.”

Tony grinned. “Whose fault was that?”

Rhodey cocked his head to the side. “Tellin’ tales on me?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay. So we had our own dubiously legal thing, since I was eighteen and you were sixteen, same as him.”

“Was not. Fifteen. We were both freshmen.”

“You looked older.”

“I did not. I looked as much like a baby as Peter does.”

“Okay, you  _ acted _ older. You definitely knew what you wanted.”

Peter laughed. “So did I.”

“See? I’m not going to be a hypocrite and judge. But Pepper… Man, that’s hard to believe.”

“Yeah. Chalk another one up to my fine judgment of people. Rhodey, she can’t know. I mean, yeah, FRIDAY has some flaws — sorry, babe —”

“It’s okay boss.” 

“But I told her to wipe that night and it was wiped. I don’t know how Pep could know. She’s guessing or she’s bluffing or something. Maybe she’s using the court of public opinion. Twitter’s vile. If Jack doesn’t shut that shit down, I’ll sue him so bad I’ll own his company when I’m finished. I’ll go Peter Thiel on his ass.”

“Wouldn’t want to be on your shit list, Tones. I know what you can do.”

“Yeah, well Pepper just made number one on that list. Damn, Rhodey, I wanted a nice, simple divorce. 50-50, shared custody, hail and farewell it’s been real. She got all twisted outta shape. I don’t know, maybe because I left her for a guy? She was used to me fucking around with women. She knew I did guys too, but I never had any feelings for them before. This just turned her… I don’t even know.”

“Yeah, but are you  _ okay _ ?”

“For now. Gotta fight this. I gotta be okay.”

“I’m on your side. What do I have to say?”

“We didn’t do anything physical until I was seventeen,” Peter said.

“Yeah, and…” Tony smiled. “We’re getting married.”

Peter held up the red, gold, and diamond ring on his hand.

“Wow. That was fast. Outta the frying pan…”

“It’s not like that,” Tony explained. “I don’t just love Peter, I’m  _ in _ love with him. First time ever.” He reached over and squeezed Peter’s hand.

“Well then, congratulations.”

Tony smiled. “You’re the first one to tell us that.”

“Guess I’ll have to dust off my best man suit again.”

“Thanks Colonel Rhodes,” Peter said.

“James. You’re gonna be family, kid.”

“Yes sir.”

“Your name is James?” Tony teased and got a smack on his arm for it. “The only way I got him to stop calling me Mister Stark was to point out that it was going to be confusing once he became Mister Stark too.”

“That’s not how you got me to stop,” Peter said with a wink.

“Shh you.”

“Man, I’m glad you’re doing okay. I saw all that shit on the news and…” He turned to Peter. “How are  _ you _ holding up?”

“It’s… been a lot. Tony got me out of classes this week, and hopefully when I go back, some of this will have died down.”

“Look, I’m flying to DC this afternoon, got a DOD presentation, but if you need me for anything, you call. Either of you.”

“Will do, um… James.”

Rhodey smiled. “Knew you could do it, kid.”

“Peter, not kid, James.”

“Right. Peter. Take care of our boy. I’ll be back Friday evening.”

Tony sighed when Rhodey left. He pulled himself off the floor and onto a chair. The phone buzzed again, a different tone, but still not the standard ring. “PR,” Tony said. “This is going to be long and boring. Why don’t you go downstairs and unpack the lab. Green boxes are what you’re going to be interested in. That’s the stuff for your workstation.”

Peter hated being dismissed, but he knew Tony was just trying to save him from hearing the unpleasantness. In the green boxes, he found everything he would need for a chemical engineering station in the lab. It was all new, things Tony had never been interested in before. He’d had bought it all especially for him.

“FRIDAY, I’m not taking any calls on an open line,” Tony said “Get me PR on a secure line.” Clint and Nat had taught him something about paranoia, after all. Once they answered, Tony listened to what his PR people had to say. They’d been putting out fires all morning and the house was still burning.

“We’re going to need you and Peter to make a few appearances this afternoon. People who have agreed to pre-arranged questions. One radio, one light news, and one fluff later tonight. All local outlets. Nothing off script, which goes for both of you too. No getting garrulous. Just reiterate that the legal age of full consent in New York state is seventeen and your relationship began after that. Peter was entirely consenting and his guardian knew about it from the beginning. We’ve already talked to her and cleared that. You can wax a bit poetic about being in love, about your upcoming marriage — but not about the honeymoon. We don’t need people thinking about you two having sex. Do not mention your divorce. Do not mention your daughter. We’re not trying the custody battle on the airwaves.”

Tony voiced agreement on all principles. He’d been through things like this when he came out as Iron Man, then again after Obadiah, and yet again when he re-confirmed once and for all that SI was out of the weapons business to all buyers foreign and domestic. And before all of  _ that _ , when someone found out about his final stint in rehab two years after his parents’ death. Lots of little flare ups too, whenever one of his female flings started gabbing about what it was like to bed Tony Stark, though that usually just burnished his reputation as a playboy, which was good for SI back then. Then there was the Stark Expo, followed by the Extremis debacle, followed by and followed by… He knew how to stay on script, how to make nice with the approved reporters, and how to smile and look pretty. A false face was second nature to him. 

He just needed to coach Peter. He hated to have to teach his boy how to lie. Tony would’ve given anything to keep that away from him, unfortunately being involved with him would always mean sacrifices. He headed down to the lab, to find Peter bent over, half buried in a huge crate. “That’s a nice view,” he smirked.

Peter popped up, startled, and knocked his head on the side of the crate. “Tony, this is fantastic.”

“I tried telling your professor that you could do all your lab work here. You still can, you’ll just have to go through the motions and repeat it for him to watch.”

Peter ran over to Tony and hugged him around the neck, kissing him. “You shouldn’t have. This must’ve cost a fortune.”

“It did. It’s a present. Or if you want to, consider this your VC. Eventually you’ll need your own floor for your lab. Fortunately this building has 32 of them empty. For now, come upstairs. We need to talk about what’s happening the rest of the day.”

They went up to the living room and sat next to each other on the sofa.

“I’ve got to get dressed. I’m going to lay out four outfits for you. One for radio, two for each TV show, and one for us to go out to a very public dinner in. I’m so sorry we have to do it this way. The dinner’s going to be the hardest. We can’t control whoever might come to crowd around. The venue belongs to an old friend of my mom’s, so at least we’ll be around friendly faces inside. The broadcast media will be only arranged questions. You follow my lead and stick to what we’ve been saying. Seventeen, deeply in love, getting married, yada yada yada. The only things are to not mention is the honeymoon, and not to mention the divorce or custody battle. Those questions shouldn’t be asked, but if one of the reporters decides he wants to cross me and go off script, or if someone outside the restaurant shouts questions, you can’t answer even if you want to. You think you can handle this?”

“Yes,” Peter said confidently. “This is important. You need to keep Morgan.”

“Baby, you’re too good to me. Now let me get everything ready. I’ll call down to the lab when it’s time for you to change. Happy’s going to meet us here. Security will be staying with May while he’s gone. I don’t want to drive, the car might get swamped and Happy’s used to dealing with that.”

Tony laid out casual clothes for them to start out in, then zipped the rest into garment bags for each of them. “I’m sorry to have to dress you,” he said after calling Peter up from the lab.

“That’s okay. You’ve got experience with this. Other than when Sam announced me as an Avenger, I’ve never been on TV before. So I’m, like, terrified.”

“That’s okay. Petey, I need your help getting into this damn button-up.” Tony shook his head while Peter fastened his buttons. “I fucking can’t wait until I get two days without a damn crisis so I can get a better version of this thing done and fabricated. I can’t seem to get the receptors and the nerve bundles lined up just right.”

“Have you been keeping your appointments with Doctor Cho while I’m at school?”

Tony ducked his head sheepishly. “Not exactly…”

“So not at all.”

“No. I’ve been working on the arm design.”

“Don’t you think she could help with those nerves and muscles? Maybe it’s not the arm that’s misaligned.”

“I didn’t think about that. Petey, your goddamn brain, I swear. You always manage to see the things I’m overlooking. You’re beautiful, but what’s in here…” He tapped Peter’s forehead. “That’s fuckin’ stunning.”

Peter giggled. “Which is better, my brain or my ass?”

Tony laughed. “Depends on the moment, baby. But it’s always a hard choice.”

Happy’s ringtone chimed and they headed out for the day’s events.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony smiled and shrugged. “What can I say, I like fast cars. If you ever really want to see one open up, we should take the Shelby for a spin. She still needs a bit of tuning, but how’s two hundred sound?”
> 
> “Like death, Tony.”
> 
> “Baby, I know what I’m doing. I’ve raced Formula 1.”
> 
> “Okay then, like _my_ death. From fear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some happiness, some sex, a bit of science, and a little bit of angst. 
> 
> And I don't know what to say. I have no excuse. I'm just fixated on certain headcanons I have about him. But Tony Stark has an absolutely filthy mouth, and he has 0 domestic ability.
> 
> Some talking about Tony's addictions. But no drug use.

“Fuck me,” Tony said, tugging on his tie to loosen it. He collapsed into an easy chair. “I wish I still had a functioning liver. I could use about that much scotch,” he said holding up all four fingers sideways.

“Not a drop in the place,” Peter reminded him.

“Baby, it’s New York. Everything’s just a phone call away.”

Peter straddled Tony’s legs. “Do it and I’m not going to let you fuck me. I need your liver functioning, ‘k?”

“Yeah, baby, I know. Doesn’t mean I don’t want for it. Kinda the definition of an alcoholic. Can’t have it, always want it.”

Peter cocked his head. “Are you really? I mean, I knew you always drank a lot, but you never seemed drunk.”

“Functioning alcoholics never do. But yes. I really am. That never goes away. I’m going to be an addict til the day I die. That’s how it works.”

“I love you,” Peter said.

“I know. And I wish you could love that away, but you can’t. You do help though. You make me crave something else entirely.” He reached down and cupped Peter’s ass in his hand. “You did good today. I’m proud of you. I know it wasn’t easy and I’m sorry you had to do it at all.”

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I was surprised that Happy called in extra security to help at the restaurant, to keep them behind the lines.”

“He wasn’t my forehead of security for nothin’. He takes good care of me. He’ll take good care of us both now.”

Peter rested his head on Tony’s shoulder, chuckling against the man’s neck. “I think he’s gonna take good care of May too. He’s smitten.”

“I’m smitten. Smitten with this ass. Now go get in my bed.” Tony gave Peter’s ass a light swat.

“Okay Mister Stark,” Peter said grinning.

“I’m going to give you a spanking you if you sass me again, kid.”

“Really, Mister Stark?” Peter took off running down the stairs to the bedroom, chased right behind by Tony.

“Yes. You’d like that?”

Peter laughed. “I don’t know, Mister Stark. Maybe you should find out.” Peter slowed down as he got near the bed.

Tony caught him by the front of his pants and started pulling at his belt, loosening it and his pants. He tugged roughly, pulling them down, but left Peter’s boxers on. It was difficult to do with his inept prosthesis helping, but he managed to bend Peter over his lap. He smacked him on the ass with his hand through his shorts. Lightly at first, then harder, watching the boy’s reaction. “Tell me yellow if it starts to hurt too much, red if you want me to stop.”

Peter yelped and squirmed with each spank, but he never said the colors, just, “Oooh Mister Stark!” and “Ouch!” and “no no no,” all while wriggling his ass and pressing it up into the next smack. Laying across Tony’s lap while he moved made him hard.

“Tony!” Peter drew the name out into a long moan.

“That’s better, Peter.” Tony bent over and pulled Peter’s boxers down far enough to plant a kiss solidly on each of the boy’s warm cheeks. “Get in bed, baby. On your stomach. I wanna see that pretty ass of yours.”

Peter started to move around to try to get undressed.

“Did I tell you to do that? No. Leave that pretty suit on. I’m gonna ruin it.”

“Tony don’t! I loved it. It looks good on me.”

“Yes it does. So leave it on.” Tony yanked Peter’s pants and boxers down around his thighs exposing his ass, yet the cloth kept his legs tightly together. He pulled up on his prosthesis until he felt the wrist joint lock into place. (Fucking  _ inelegant  _ thing. The fact that the tech was still less than perfect offended him. He was better than that.) He kept the elbow loose and leaned forward, balancing on its hand. “Pass me the lube, baby.” They used it so often now that it no longer lived in the nightstand drawer, but shoved into the gap between the mattress and the headboard, where it was within reach.

Tony spread Peter’s ass open and squeezed a long stripe of lube into the crack. With his finger, he worked it into Peter’s opening. It was easier now since they were fucking nearly every night since he’d showed up at the hotel. Peter knew how to relax, and Tony felt him pull his finger in, moaning needily. He scooped more of the slick onto his index finger and pushed it in again, not using any more than the one finger. He wanted Peter very tight. He straddled the boy’s thighs and pushed them together with his knees, making his ass even tighter. Leaning forward, he slid his cock along the crack, fucking at it but not entering yet. He pulled back a little, just enough to let the head tease. 

“Fuck me, Tony!” Peter whined in frustrated complaint.

“Mmm. But you feel so nice and tight like this. I could probably get myself off and never even be inside of you.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Well,” he drawled the word out. “You have been a very good boy tonight. Except for that Mister Stark nonsense, and I’ve already punished you for that. Have you been good, Peter?”

“Uh huh. Yes. I’ve been good, Tony. Please fuck me. Please?”

Tony teased the boy’s opening one more time before pressing forward and finally entering him. Having not been fully loosened up, it was tight, especially with Tony holding the boy’s thighs closed.

Peter hissed but then deliberately squeezed his legs tighter and arched back into Tony’s thrust. “Yes,” he moaned against the pillow. He reached underneath himself and aligned his cock with his body so that when Tony pressed in, it pushed him against the duvet. He reached back, with his hand cupped. “Lube?” he asked.

Tony squeezed a dollop into Peter’s hand. “Just enough to make it slick. Then, no touching, baby.” Tony loved how sensitive Peter was, how most times he could come just on his cock. He’d been with a few guys who could sometimes do that, but it was definitely rare. One more thing to thank that radioactive spider for.

He bottomed out inside the boy, felt him clench and then buck back against him. Tony stretched out across Peter’s back and breathed along the boy’s neck, nibbling at the tender flesh until he reached his shoulder. He wrapped his arm underneath Peter’s chest and began thrusting into him with short strokes. Peter was making delicious sounds, but Tony knew there was more to be had. He pulled the boy closer and bit into the meat of his shoulder.

“Fuck yes!”

_ That’s _ what Tony was waiting for. He pounded harder and faster and Peter let loose with a string of filthy cursing, egging him on.

“I’m going to use that hole. Fuck you until I’m feeling so good. That ass is mine. Mine.” Tony bit into Peter’s other shoulder and sucked a dark bruise there. “Gonna make sure that anyone who sees your body knows that you belong to me.” He slammed into Peter’s ass and bit down onto the boy’s back, sucking flesh between his teeth, worrying at it, then putting a bruise on it. He did that to a different spot every time he slammed home.

“That’s it baby, moan for me. Let me hear how much you want this cock to fuck your tight little ass.” Tony slid his hand down Peter’s chest and stomach until he circled his fingers tightly around the base of the boy’s cock. “Should I let you come? Maybe I’ll make you wait for it until after I do.”

Peter groaned at having his pleasure restrained. “Please Tony. I’ll be so good for you.” He clenched his legs together. “Make it so tight for you. Please, please, please let me come.”

“Oh baby. You  _ are _ so pretty when you beg. But you come so easily. I want you to try to wait, baby boy. Make it last as long as you can.”

“Yes, Tony.” Peter scrunched his face up, trying to concentrate on not letting his over-heightened senses bring him off too soon. 

“That’s a good boy,” Tony knew that even with trying, Peter wouldn’t be able to last long. He was an inexperienced, a teenage boy with a corresponding libido, and senses dialed up to eleven. A denial game played too severely wasn’t fun at all. He leaned up enough that he could get a good angle to bring himself close as well. He  _ was  _ planning on coming first, even if it would be by mere seconds as Peter could never resist a good, hard fuck for long, and hard was the way Tony wanted it tonight.

Tony knelt back, dragging his prosthesis along the bed with him. He clicked the wrist loose of its lock and bent the fingers back into a lock instead, giving him a longer leverage. He pulled the boy’s hips back until they were off the bed, his cock hanging down and not finding the friction he wanted from the duvet.

“Tony!” Peter complained.

The man laughed. “Aww baby. Something wrong?”

“You can be a jerk sometimes!”

“Hmm. Then I guess you don’t want me to fuck you hard.”

“I want it. I need you deep inside me. Fuck me please?”

Tony pressed his cock pointing downward with his fingers and dragged it slowly along Peter’s prostate.

“Oh Tony!” Peter shouted.

Tony did it again.

“Oh god yes!”

Any more and Peter would get too close too soon, before he was. He pulled one leg up, his knee bent. The position angled him just right for semi-direct stimulation inside Peter, and made him able to start pounding hard and fast again. Tony felt himself growing close.

“Come for me baby. Let yourself go. I’m… oh fuck Petey.” Tony lost it as soon as the boy started to come, calling out his name.

As they collapsed down onto the bed, Tony rolled Peter away from the wet spot. Peter curled up against him, resting in the crook of his good arm. Tony stroked the boy’s back and let his fingers play lazily in his curly, sweat soaked hair.

“God, that was…” Peter just sighed.

“Yeah, it was,” Tony agreed.

They lay there for awhile and Tony draped his metal arm across his abdomen, not realizing what he’d done.

“Fuck Tony! Does that hurt?” Peter asked, looking at the angle Tony’s wrist and fingers had been pushed back on that arm.

“Nah baby. It’s okay. I can’t feel anything on this.” He chuckled. “Looks weird though.” He cracked the joints back into their proper position. “Better?”

“Yeah. It looked like it must’ve hurt.”

“It will, I guess, if I can ever get one that works properly.”

“Well then, since I’m off school tomorrow and the PR lady said to stay quiet, I’m taking you to see Doctor Cho. You can tell her how, exactly, it’s not working. Y’know, there’s nothing wrong with asking another scientist’s opinion. You ask mine all the time.”

“Yeah, but you’re  _ you _ . You get me.”

“Tony, I know you’re, like,  _ the  _ fucking genius, but you’re not the only one. You’re a mechanic. I’m a chemist, and she’s a biologist. Did you get your degree in biology?”

Tony laughed. “Okay. You made your point. Tomorrow, I put myself in your hands. Now, insistent boy, change the covers while I take a quick wash.”

“Do you even know how to take care of yourself, like, at all? Anything? Tell me you at least can cook.”

“Nope!” Tony called from the bathroom over the running water. “Made it fifty three years so far, see no reason to change. I’m gonna hire someone to hire a live in staff like I had at the old tower. Only first I have to hire someone to hire someone to do that. Fuck, I miss having a PA. Wait. You’re my intern. You do it!” He came out of the bathroom naked and grinning.

Peter was dumping the old duvet in the laundry pile and spreading a new one over the bed. “You’re…”

“Awful?” Tony suggested.

Peter was shimmying out of his ruined suit, which was stained with lube and come. “Yes.” He headed into the bathroom to do a little washing up himself. “Fine. I’ll hire you a PA. The ugliest yet most competent woman I can find.”

“Jealous?”

“Mmm. Maybe.” Peter crawled into bed under the sheets and clean duvet.

“No reason to be, babydoll. I only have eyes for you.”

“Cheesy old man.” Peter ran his hand over where the prosthesis strapped onto Tony’s shoulder. “You wanna take this off?”

“Not really.”

“You should. Your arm gets irritated when you wear it to bed.”

“I know, but…”

“Tony, I don’t give a shit about that. I just don’t want you to hurt in the morning. Please?”

Tony winced and sighed. He was definitely too tired to worry about putting a shirt of any kind on. Getting out of bed was undoable. “All right.”

Peter gently unbuckled the strap. He eased the prosthesis off then pulled the covers up over them both. He settled against Tony, resting his head on the man’s chest.

Tony closed his eyes and refused to look at it. He knew he was being ridiculous and vain, but he was a broken old man with a beautiful young lover. He could be forgiven a bit of vanity. “Other side of me, baby,” Tony said, trying not to sound distressed.

Peter moved across Tony and settled into the crook of what was left of his arm. Tony liked it better when they slept like that. He knew it was because then the man couldn’t see what was missing. He could only look at Peter.

Tony rolled onto his side facing the boy and brushed his hair out of his face. “Are you growing your hair out?”

“A little. Do you mind?”

“No, baby. I kinda like it.”

Peter chuckled sleepily. “Thought you might.”

“More to grab onto.”

Tony drove them to Doctor Cho’s clinic in the morning. He roared the Audi out of the garage, tires squealing as he made the turn onto the street, not stopping for any idiot that was camped out on the sidewalk, hoping to get a quote or a photograph. They all jumped out of his way. Peter buckled nervously in because Tony was weaving through the Manhattan traffic as fast as he could get away with. It wasn’t until they were on the freeway, heading upstate, that he finally slowed down to a near-speed limit rate.

Peter glared at him. Tony smiled and shrugged. “What can I say, I like fast cars. If you ever really want to see one open up, we should take the Shelby for a spin. She still needs a bit of tuning, but how’s two hundred sound?”

“Like death, Tony.”

“Baby, I know what I’m doing. I’ve raced Formula 1.”

“Okay then, like  _ my _ death. From fear.”

“When you see how a car can handle, what she can do, and how you can control it, you’ll be less afraid. Right now it probably feels to you like we’re just hurtling around in a tin can. Which is kinda what I do in the suit, but whatever.” He paused for a moment to change lanes then sped up do some weaving past traffic. “Hey, have you ever clocked yourself when you’re web slinging? That arc as you hit the bottom of it, right before you head back up again? The physics of it should be easy. We’d just have to get your weight with the suit, the length of the web, the height of your fall…” Tony frowned. “Shit. Been too long since I was in school. Kepler’s equation, but are we talking Radial or Parabolic?”

“Parabolic,” Peter answered. “And it’s Barker’s equation, not Kepler’s for that.”

“See? It’s the same with a car. Physics. Making the turn, angle needed to weave a smooth curve through the obstacles of traffic, the ideal speed and point to hit the brake if you want to make her drift. All numbers, Petey. I can’t remember the equations, but I can do the math in my head without thinking about it.”   


Peter smiled. Being this close to Tony Stark’s mind was a beautiful thing. He had no doubt that the man  _ could  _ do the math in his head. He furrowed his brow. Not remembering the equations though? That didn’t track. He thought back to Tony’s confession about the way he made it through MIT. Of course he couldn’t remember the equations. Peter was taking intro to anatomy this month and they’d learned that math functions were a different part of the brain from memory functions. One was impaired, the other wasn’t. He reached over and gave Tony’s leg a quick squeeze. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Wouldn’t be anyplace else, Petey. Now let me open her up.”

“How fast does this one go?” 

“It won’t even come close to the Shelby, but it’ll be fast enough for you.”

“It’s all physics, right?”

“Right.”

“Okay. Just don’t get a ticket.”

“Like I can’t pay it. Okay baby. I have to merge onto the Palisades. It’s a bit of a sharp left.”

“Tony don’t do anything weird. After your hand is fixed, then yeah. I’ll let you show me whatever trick you were going to do. Even with me in the car. But please.”

“Yeah. Dammit, you’re right. It’s a two handed move, absolutely cannot do it with one. She’d better be able to fix this. FRIDAY, call Bruce Banner. Have him meet us.”

“Yes boss. Doctor Banner says that he’ll be there.”

“When we were putting Ultron together, Bruce was able to make my neural interface, well, turned out to be JARVIS’ neural interface, but I invented that, work with the rest of it. I think part of the problem is that Doctor Cho’s used to working with people who’ve basically just lost a limb. 

“Tony, that’s you. I know you’re having some trouble right now…”

“That’s not what I meant.  _ Normal  _ people. People who don’t know how to control nanites covering their entire body. Vision was formed out of layers of carbon/vibranium nanotubes. The nanites I use for our suits work in layers like that, only in gold-titanium alloy. I think Bruce can figure this out, with my help.”

Driving at the speed Tony was, it only took an hour to arrive at Doctor Cho’s clinic, which was located halfway between Manhattan and Avengers Headquarters.

Bruce was outside waiting for him. “Tony, tell me we’re not going to build another murder-bot.”

Tony shook his head. “No, but I think I need you to use some of the biomechanical methods we used on Ultron to help me fix this damn thing,” he said, raising his prosthetic arm.

Inside, they went to work. Doctor Cho was disappointed that the nerves and muscles she’d salvaged didn’t seem to be in the right place for attaching to the inside of the prosthesis.

“But,” she said in her defense, “I didn’t have anything to go on. There was no prototype of the prosthesis or its socket.”

“What about the straps?” Peter asked. “I’ve got this adhesive… It’s my webbing. Right now, it’s temporary, only lasts about two hours. But I think I can work on a version that lasts longer. Um… plus… there’s this other adhesive. I didn’t create it, the spider bite did.” Peter spread out his fingers, flexing them and a thin yellowish coating covered the tips of them.

“Petey!” Tony said, squinting at the boy’s fingers. “That is so cool. Is that how you climb walls?”

Peter ducked his head in embarrassment. “Yeah. Fingers and toes. That’s why when you were making the suit, I had you make those coverings porous. There’s that and this. It’s kinda gross up close.” He tightened the flexing arch of his hand and his fingertips were not only covered in the goo, but in dark, barbed hairs.

Discussion of Tony’s prosthesis paused while Doctor Cho examined Peter’s enhancement. “I really would love to get a blood sample. Not to experiment on, but to see if there have been any changes in it from the blood of a non-EI person. If you ever were injured to the point of needing a transfusion, you might not be a match to what’s available. We should have some of your blood on hand.”

Peter winced. He hated the idea. Not of having it in storage for a transfusion, but the possibility of experimentation. Doctor Cho seemed nice enough, but what if there was something in him that allowed the enhancement to be transferred? In the wrong hands… 

“I don’t think so, Helen,” Tony said, seeing Peter’s reaction. “You’ll just have to handle any injuries without it.”

Peter breathed a sigh of relief. He wondered if Captain America, the former one, or Sergeant Barnes ever felt the same way. Hesitant because of the possibility of someone creating more super-soldiers.

“That’s okay, Peter,” Bruce said, patting Peter’s shoulder with a huge hand. “She doesn’t have any of mine, either. Helen, can I see the MRIs and surgical notes on what you did?”

“Yes. Princess Shuri came to help with the work. Everything should be correct.”

Bruce shrugged. “Wouldn’t hurt to have another look.”

“It’s probably the prosthesis,” Cho argued.

“It’s not the damn tech,” Tony insisted. “Yeah, the mechanical function isn’t complete, I haven’t had the time. The lab isn’t even unpacked. But the socket? The sensors are the same as on my suit. I should just be able to  _ think  _ and have movement. The intuitiveness is built into the receptors. In the suit, all I have to do is flex my fingers or shrug my shoulders, or move a toe and things happen, seamlessly. Hell, for the weapons to morph, I don’t even have to do that. I just  _ think  _ it, and whatever I need is there. But with this, the thought isn’t getting from here,” he tapped on his forehead, “to here,” he added lifting the prosthesis off the table where it was being examined. “That’s a wetware problem, not a hardware one.”

“Tony,” Bruce said, admiration in his voice, “I had no idea the nanites worked like that.”

“Not something I want people knowing. It makes it easy to use, but it could also be a vulnerability.”

“We’re going to have to put you back in the cradle for a deep scan. Then if it is, as you say, a wetware problem, there’s going to be more treatments.”

“Oh joy. Those will have to wait for awhile and I’ll have to use this thing until then. Me and Peter… we’re kinda mired in it right now. I can’t go disappearing. It’ll make me look guilty.”

“All right. But let’s do the scans today,” Helen said. “Then Bruce and I can analyze them to see where the problem is.”

“Just a scan, no work?” Tony asked. “There’s cameras on us everywhere. I can’t appear dragged out or weak.”

“Just a scan,” Helen assured.

Tony stripped out of his shirt, and, trying not to show his apprehension due to the pain the machine had caused him before, he stretched out in it. Peter gave his hand a squeeze and leaned over for a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I’m right here,” he said, whispering into Tony’s ear. Then he had to step back to let the machine work.

The scan took over an hour because as Helen and Bruce watched the monitor in real time, they kept directing the scanning head to focus on this or that part of Tony’s body and his brain.

“Think of moving your fingers.” Another scan. “Of just your index finger.” They scanned again, going through each digit and joint. Then came sensation testing on his left arm. Pinpricks, feathers, velvet, coarse sandpaper. They ran at least two dozen materials over Tony’s forearm, then his upper, then his hand, watching his brain function light up different parts of the monitor. It was tedious and annoying, but at least it wasn’t painful. 

Afterwards, Tony excused himself to the bathroom. He clutched the counter to stop his hand from shaking. He looked in the mirror and then squinted his eyes shut, unable to look at the wreck of his body. It was okay when he was at home with Peter. But here, facing  _ that machine _ , remembering the long weeks of pain, and the few weeks of not pain… and how  _ nice  _ those were; he was far less than okay. 

He’d managed to control his drinking for years. Kept it down to ‘not a drunk’ levels. If he could… just enough to take the edge off… to calm the nerves, to face the storm that was brewing around him. He could manage that, right? Just the edge. Make looking in the mirror a little more bearable. Make dealing with Pepper just a little less rough.

“Tony?” Peter pushed the door open.

“Yeah.”

“You all right?”

“Always.” He shook off the temptation. “Come on, let’s head home. Order in and spend the rest of the day unpacking the lab.”

“Bruce said he wants to keep this version of your arm here over the weekend.”

Tony sucked in his lips. “Okay. Not that he’s going to be able to analyze the sensors. He’s good, but not when it comes to nanotech.” 

“I brought your shirt,” Peter said, holding out the tee.

Tony yanked it over his head and pulled it down. He looked in the mirror. Yeah, something was still missing, but at least he couldn’t see the mess of what was still there.

Back at the penthouse, Tony had Peter help him attach the older prosthesis. Then he ordered up a full dinner from the hottest restaurant in town — one that definitely didn’t deliver but made an exception for Tony. “God, I missed New York. You couldn’t get anything decent to eat upstate.” 

He and Peter worked on the unpacking until the security called up about the delivery. Tony made the man unpack the food and set the table. So not in his job description, but he did it anyway.

“Petey,” Tony said as they ate. “After you’ve done your school work tomorrow — I really hate to ask — but I need you to get me that PA. I don’t care who it is, as long as they’re extremely competent and willing to sign one of Hogarth’s airtight NDAs.”

“Missing your old life at Avengers Tower?” Peter asked with a grin.

“Stark Tower, and yes.” Tony nodded. “There is no way I want to see you turning into my househusband and caretaker of this place. Better things to do with your time than washing dishes or cooking or running errands. Especially not the latter. Not now.”

“Have you checked your phone?”

“No. Is it any better than yesterday?”

“A little. The interviews helped,” Peter said.

“Tomorrow, while you’re hiring someone to take care of my domestic ineptitude, I’ll check in with PR and see what more we need to do. But not tonight. Tonight, I want to get the lab unpacked.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You,” he said, angrily pointing at Bruce. “You’re trying to build an arm out of a murder-bot. And you!” He said turning to point at Tony as he walked into the room. “You’re trying to build one out of a suit of armor!”
> 
> Helen winced, waiting for her turn to be yelled at.
> 
> “You,” Fitz said softly and smiling. “You are wonderful. Nothing to worry about. Just like Gemma. Doctors are the only ones who know what they’re doing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why hello Fitz! Tony finally gets a fully functional prosthesis.

The next day went well. There were more interviews, but he and Peter were getting expert at them. Peter was even able to make endearing small talk while not giving away anything he shouldn’t. No one could watch Peter and not fall in love with the boy. The weekend went the same. Interviews, meals brought up to their penthouse, working in the lab.

Monday, however… While Peter was dealing with employment agencies, Tony was on the line with Jeri.

“This was supposed to be my week with Morgan,” Tony complained.

“I argued that. It’s not just in Ms. Potts’ lawyers hand now, CPS is involved. You’re not getting Morgan at all until they do an interview with you. She’s arguing that if they give you any visitation, it should be court supervised only.” She paused. “And that Mister Parker not be present in the home during it.”

“Absolutely not. Peter’s going to be Morgan’s step father, whether she likes it or not.”

“CPS is breathing down my neck for that meeting asap.”

“No way out of it?”

“Right now, it’s only a formality. Whenever there’s any kind of complaint, from anyone not just a divorced parent, they have to investigate. It’s usually brief. Checking to see the state of the home, that the child has a room to stay in, that there’s no history of abuse on either the child, the former spouse, or anyone else.”

“I  _ never _ hit Pepper or Morgan. How could anyone even think that?”

“And in your case, with your public reputation for sleeping around and what Pepper’s told them about your addiction, they’re going to be checking into those as well.”

“Jeri, I only have about three-quarters of a functioning liver. There’s not even cooking wine in the penthouse.”

“Drugs? Even marijuana?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Not from your college student boyfriend? They’re going to want drug tests from anyone Morgan’s going to have contact with.”

“Peter doesn’t do drugs. I haven’t since my twenties. No one working for me does, but I’ll demand checks on everyone with access to the building.”

“Good. Cooperate with the questions no matter how much they offend you. Be pleasant. Don't raise your voice. Watch the sarcasm. No foul language. Pretend you’re going to church with your delicate maiden aunt. Same for Peter. I’ll set up the CPS interview for tomorrow afternoon. But until the custody battle is finished, as long as the accusation hangs out there, especially with her claiming proof, it’s going to be short visits under supervision and I don’t recommend those.”

Tony went down to the bedroom floor. There was his and Peter’s room which had the east view over the Hudson, but there were also three other bedrooms, each facing a different direction. Morgan was almost five, so baby proofing wasn’t needed, only a bit of making sure things were child friendly in the room she’d stayed in the last weekend he had her.

Peter was in their bedroom on the phone, scribbling notes on a pad.

“Hey, Petey. Any luck with that PA?” Peter shook his head and motioned that he was on hold. “Okay, give it up for the day. We have to go out there.” Tony jerked his thumb towards the outside world. “I do at least, but I could use some help from someone who was a kid not that long ago.” 

Tony explained about the CPS interview and all the hoops they were both going to have to jump through.

“Sure, I’ll cooperate with whatever you want me to. I’ve never taken any kind of drugs. Even when Happy was sewing up my shoulder, he didn’t give me anything.” Peter cocked his head to the side. “Was that because he wouldn’t give it to you?”

“Happy never knew about the addiction, I would just tell him I didn’t like being fuzzy headed. He works for me, so he didn’t argue. I’m sorry he made you get stitched up without anything.”

“Tony, I got hit by a  _ train _ . A little cut wasn’t anything. It was healed by the time I got to London.”

Tony smiled. “The amazing Spider-Man. So, does the superhero have time to go shopping with an old man to try to make Morgan’s room look more like a little girl’s room instead of a generic adult guest room? I’m making one of the security guards come with us.” 

As Tony and Peter walked out of the building, security guy following close behind, there were no reporters camped out waiting for them. Enough interviews had been given, and all had basically said the same thing. There wasn’t much of a story to follow at the building where they lived. The story had moved where the lawyers were and to Pepper’s office in the temporary headquarters of SI. 

They hailed a cab and walked out by the shops on the other side of Central Park. Of course there were people who recognized them. Tony and Peter walked either hand in hand or, at other times, with Tony’s hand resting on the small of Peter’s back. There was no doubt that they were out shopping as a couple. There were plenty of stares and whispers, but the security kept anyone from getting too close to them. 

Lots of smartphones were raised and they knew pictures were being taken that would soon be plastered all over the internet. Peter got a little nervous, but Tony assured him that wasn’t very different from what normally happened when he went out. As long as the amateur photographers and paparazzi kept their distance, there was nothing to be done about it. Even without the controversy over their relationship, they were both Avengers. Tales of the Battle for Earth and Peter’s European summer adventures were everywhere. Like it or not, they were famous.

“We just do whatever we’re doing. It’s obvious that this isn’t a time for them to come up autograph seeking, that we’re busy. One of the things I like about New York is that most people catch onto that. They’re used to famous people being all around them. There might still be tourists who get pushy but we just let the security guy do his job and we ignore them. It’ll be okay, baby.” Tony leaned over and gave Peter a peck on the cheek.

The longer they were out, the easier Peter felt about the situation. By the end of their outing, both laden with shopping bags, they were laughing and talking as if there was no one else in the world. If there were gawkers, they were discreet about it.

More unpacking. Setting up Morgan’s room. Putting a gate across the staircase to the lab. Setting a biometric key to the button on the elevator that lead there. Tony didn’t give a damn if Morgan went to the lab. She was always down there or in the garage with him when he was working at the lake house. He’d had his own workshop set up by the time he was younger than she was. But CPS might not see things the way he did, so the gate and key went up. 

When they fell into their bed that night there was nothing more than kisses and holding and reassurances. Peter was nervous about CPS the next day, so was Tony. But, if he was honest, he was more worried about what had happened at Doctor Cho’s clinic that day. The temptation was strong. Even with Peter nestled in his arm sleeping, with Tony watching the slow rise and fall of his chest between bouts of staring out the window, unseeing, at the lights of the city — the temptation was still there. Just to turn off his brain. To not give a shit about the world, what they think of him, and how much he was failing. Failing Morgan by the divorce. Failing Peter by tying a young lover to the wreck that he was. Failing his potential because he couldn’t get the damn tech of his prosthesis to work. Failing as Iron Man because he hadn’t been out in the suit since the Battle for Earth. Failing failing failing. Howard always said he was a failure and would let down everyone around him. It earned him nothing but their betrayal when they realized what a fraud Tony Stark was.

He slipped his arm out from under Peter’s neck, careful not to wake him. There was no point in just lying in bed, waiting for the sun to come up, and the dreaded day to begin. He threw on a t-shirt, boxers, and his dressing gown (Howard’s dressing gown), and headed down to the lab. By the time he smelled coffee brewing, the scent managing to waft down the staircase two whole floors, Tony had unpacked most of it, set up the holo-tables, and was a good deal towards finishing the fabrication area.

Peter, in a cute pair of pink sleep pants and nothing else, padded down the stairs with two cups of coffee. “Hey. Did you get any sleep?”

“Thank you,” Tony said with true appreciation. He drained the cup. “There was too much work to do for sleep. When Helen and Bruce get me the data from the scans and their solutions, I need to be ready to work. It’s ridiculous trying to do anything while nine tenths of my equipment isn’t even ready to go. Now it is.”

“Fabrication complete, boss,” FRIDAY said.

Tony smiled. “It’s still a dummy, Mark 6 version, but I needed something better than Mark 4 and Bruce has Mark 5,” Tony said, removing the new arm from the machine. “Can you give me a hand? It’s still strapped onto my shoulder, I’m afraid. I can’t do any more work until Bruce and Helen are done.”

“Sure,” Peter said and helped Tony. He knew that it was difficult for Tony to ask for help with anything. The fact that he’d done so with Peter, and done it as easily as he did, was a big deal. “Did you know we literally have no food in this place. Nothing. Not even a loaf of bread. There’s some water, soda, juice, and that awful tasting weird stuff you drink, but solid food?”

“The number for the diner’s on the fridge. Number for the grocery too. Order whatever you want. I’m good with… I dunno… a fruit salad or something. Not very hungry right now, too busy working.” 

“Come upstairs. We can see what the morning news is like, if we’re on it or if it’s okay. Breakfast doesn’t take long from there after you order it from the diner, does it?”

“Nah. They’re just a block and a half east of us. Tell them it’s for me and they’ll bump it to the front of the line.”

Peter laughed. “I’m just hungry enough to do that this morning.”

Breakfast, showers, dressing… Tony paused, looking at his shirts. There were ones he used to wear over the arc reactor, the center faded and worn because of it. And there were the ones he’d been wearing lately because they were just normal shirts. But there were ones he'd made to wear with the nanite device. Those were designed to be pulled form-fitting tight with strings on the sides. He pulled one of those on, managing to get it buttoned on his own, and dug around in his top drawer for the nanite device, putting it on.

He smiled at his reflection in the mirror. The way the dummy prosthesis filled out his sleeve, the glowing device on his chest… he almost looked like himself. He tapped the device and with scarcely a thought, the nanites crawled only over his right shoulder and prosthesis. The suit’s arm moved like it normally did, taking the prosthesis with it. Why hadn’t he thought of using his suit before? Brain’s failing already, old man, he thought and his mouth screwed down. Can’t even think about using the functional tech you made when you were still competent.

Peter was full of enthusiasm, overjoyed that Tony had used his suit’s arm. “Tony this is great.”

Tony shrugged. “I just know how to control the suit. It’s doing all the work.”

“Who invented it to do that, huh?”

“I guess.” He hugged Peter easily around the waist with his arm and the suit’s. “One of these days I’m going to let you explore that armor kink.”

“Mmm. Don’t tease when there’s not enough time to do anything about it. That worker’s going to be here soon and I don’t need to be walking around in a state.”

By the time Peter had cleared the leftover breakfast mess, security was buzzing, asking to send the social worker up. She had only a few questions for Peter, mostly about what he did for a living (a student), how school was (really good), how his relationship with his aunt was (fantastic), and what she thought about his being engaged to a man well over twice his age.

“She wants whatever is going to make me happy,” Peter answered. “That’s the way it’s been ever since I moved in with her. She’s always been very supportive. She and Tony get along well. We’ve had dinner at her place a couple of times. And she knows how much we both love each other. That’s all that matters.”

“And your relationship?” the woman asked. “When did that begin?” 

“After the reverse snap.”

She looked confused at the terminology.

“The blip,” Peter explained. “Those of us fighting, the Avengers, we call what Thanos did ‘the snap’. When Bruce, Doctor Banner, the Hulk, put on the gauntlet — the thing that Thanos used that dusted everybody — he snapped his fingers and everyone came back. The reverse snap.”

“Ah. So that’s when you came back and Mister Stark… Iron Man…” she said, looking a little star struck as she looked over to Tony. “You did a second ‘reverse snap’.”

Tony thought to himself, none of this has anything to do with the custody question. She just wants to bask in some Avengers glory. He smiled though. “No. Not to anyone who was returned. Thanos’ forces were overwhelming us on the battlefield. He’d gotten the gauntlet during the fray and was about to dust everyone again — this time not just half, but  _ everyone _ . Only I’d built in a failsafe. The inner gauntlet was designed to join with my armor. I grabbed it and it formed around my hand.” Tony raised his armor coated prosthesis. The woman’s eyes widened in awe. “I snapped. The enemy disappeared. And I died.”

“For three minutes,” Peter said. “Worst three minutes of my life. Not even getting dusted was as bad as seeing that light,” he tapped Tony’s chest piece, “go out. When it sparked, when it finally glowed again…” Tears came to Peter’s eyes. “I knew I couldn’t waste one more minute telling you how much I was in love with you.”

Tony smiled softly. “I saw you. You were fading right in front of my eyes. Again. But I’d bought you a chance to live. That was all that mattered. I never expected to wake up. I was okay with that. You were back. The battle was over so you were safe. I’d done what I set out to do when I invented time travel.” The woman’s eyes went even wider. The time heist wasn’t common public knowledge. “I got you out of the soul realm and gave you your life back. That I got more…” Tony sighed. “Yeah. There was no waiting to tell you after that. I was in the hospital for months though, and I didn’t want to do anything until after your birthday.”

The woman cleared her throat loudly and looked down at her paper questions. “When did you start feeling that way about Mister Parker, Mister Stark?” 

“I’ve always admired Peter. He’s a brilliant scientist. Ask his chemistry professor. But losing him… feeling him turn to ash within my very hands… I thought we’d have time. Time for him to grow up. And if he still felt about me the way he seemed to, then and only then, maybe something more might be able to happen. But time wasn’t on our side. Waiting was too risky. In the clinic… I wasn’t sure if I was going to live or die. I only knew one thing. I was falling in love with Peter very differently. More than simple admiration. It’d been five years and he never left my mind. I knew it wasn’t fair to stay with Ms. Potts after I’d realized that I wasn’t getting over Peter’s loss. Eventually, I intended to talk to her about divorcing. But then Steve Rogers, Captain America, came to me with the possibility of the impossible. Time travel. Rebuilding the gauntlet and bringing everyone back. I knew I had to work it out so that the five years intervening didn’t get erased. That we didn’t just go back and reset from where everyone disappeared. That was because of Morgan. I couldn’t lose her. I had to figure out the problem to regain Peter  _ and _ keep Morgan.” Tony shrugged nonchalantly. “Of course I did it. There wasn’t any doubt. Einstein be damned. Sorry.”

There was a long list of questions on her paper, the standard ones. Though she was pleasant, they were rude. There were questions about why he wanted joint custody of a little girl, which Peter thought went beyond rudeness into offensive. Of course Tony wanted his daughter. When did being a father become a crime? He would’ve given anything to have his own father back. But Peter kept his mouth shut, pleasantly smiling and nodding. There were questions about Tony’s past, the drugs, the sex. But that was all in the past. He’d stopped the drugs so long ago. And after he married Pepper, there was no playboy activity. And now that he was with Peter, he was committed to him. There would be no going to bed with other people either.

She asked about who be in Morgan’s life when she was with him. Happy and Rhodey of course. And the security.

“Iron Man needs security guards?” 

“When I’m home, I’m just Tony Stark. Iron Man only comes out when I need to do some world saving. So yes, there are security guards. Mostly to make the press and paparazzi keep their distance. But when Morgan is with us, they’ll protect her too. I know that with all the attention Peter and I get, she could get overwhelmed. The security guards will make sure a safe distance is kept around her.” Tony shrugged. “It’s the same with any child of a celebrity. You have to keep the curious away from them.”

She toured the penthouse, checking where Morgan’s room was and how it was set up. The size of it, the view, the luxury of everything, she seemed a bit overly impressed by. Tony reassured her that he wasn’t spoiling Morgan, it was just that he worked hard and had earned a nice income. The penthouse was the level at which he was accustomed to living. The expense and luxury of it all was normal for the life of the fifth richest man in the world. He didn’t see the need to pretend to be something he wasn’t. Morgan was a fortunate child, but he had no intention of spoiling her or giving into her every whim.

She said that she saw nothing wrong with Tony, Peter, or the life Morgan would have with them. The whole thing was a waste of time caused by the messy divorce and that is what she would write in her report. There was no need, in her opinion, for visitation to be supervised. But the decision wasn’t in her hands. She’d turn in her report but then it was up to those above her. She had no control over it. She apologized profusely and said she wished she did. 

Afterwards, Tony was encouraged and happy. Things were going well. He took Peter to a celebratory dinner out followed by some incredible celebratory sex.

They were awakened by the phone’s ringing well before the alarm was set to go off. “You need to come to the clinic,” Doctor Cho said. “A quinjet just landed and they’re asking for you.”

When Peter and Tony arrived at the clinic, Leo Fitz was pacing, going back and forth between the cradle and Bruce’s workstation.

“You,” he said, angrily pointing at Bruce. “You’re trying to build an arm out of a murder-bot. And you!” He said turning to point at Tony as he walked into the room. “You’re trying to build one out of a suit of armor!”

Helen winced, waiting for her turn to be yelled at.

“You,” Fitz said softly and smiling. “You are wonderful. Nothing to worry about. Just like Gemma. Doctors are the only ones who know what they’re doing.”

“There’s got to be something wrong with what’s left of my arm,” Tony argued.

“The only thing wrong are your sensors. What were you trying for, blasters on the thing? Those sensors are totally wrong!”

Tony bristled. “They’re what controls the nanotech!”

“If you want the nanites to cover your prosthesis, they’ll be perfect. But not for expecting your neuromuscular system to operate fine motor controls. Why didn’t you call me sooner?”

“I did. You were busy.”

“You might be Iron Man, but you’re not the only disaster happening in the world this month. Not even close. Now, Helen sent me the dimensions of the remaining portion of your arm. You’re lucky she did such clean work of it. Coulson had his arm chopped off with a fire axe.  _ That _ was a mess to interface with. Take off your shirt.”

Tony reluctantly pulled his t-shirt over his head. “Am I going to have to go back in that,” he nodded in the direction of the cradle, “for this to work?”

Fitz lifted the remainder of Tony’s arm, moving it this way and that, staring intently at it as if Tony wasn’t even attached to it. “No. It’s just like the files you sent me,” he said to Helen. He turned to Peter. “You? You’re the assistant? Help him get into this.” Fitz held out a prosthetic cup for Peter to take.

“He’s not my  _ assistant _ ,” Tony growled. “Peter is my fiance.”

“Congratulations. Now put this on him. No, the other way. It only fits one way or after about three minutes it’s going to hurt.”

“Sorry,” Peter mumbled. He leaned up and whispered in Tony’s ear. “I thought  _ you _ were bad.”

Fitz shrugged. “I can leave.”

“Please don’t. I’m sorry,” Peter said. “Is this right?”

“Perfect. I made a reference mark here that lines up with the long straight scar that runs down his outer arm.” He looked at Tony. “How does that feel?”

“Like there’s nothing on my arm at all. Where are the attachment straps.”

“Straps? No no no. It’s a perfect fit. Friction alone will hold it in place. Or, if you want her to, Helen can permanently attach it around your skin, like the socket of your arc reactor was. That will take time in the cradle, but there is no reason you can’t be fully under anesthesia for it. Now, Doctor Banner tells me you have fabrication facilities in your lab?”

“Complete. I built the old suits in it, the nanite suit, the Iron Legion bots…”

“Ultron,” Bruce volunteered.

“Not helping Banner,” Tony hissed.

Bruce laughed.

“Well this is nice and all, it feels good, but it’s not an arm,” Tony said.

“This is.” Fitz held up a silvery metal armature. “Helen said you don’t want a synthskin covering like Coulson has? Why?”

Tony smiled. “Not my style.”

“Okay. See this point here?” He pointed to a spot on the bottom of the cup. Fitz frowned at Tony. “How adept are you with your left hand?”

“Pretty good. Not for writing, but I’m used to working with both equally in the suit, controlling the weapons, the repulsors, flight controls, whatever.”

“You won’t need help then. Probably not even with the cup once you’re used to the way it goes. But this, this attaches here. Take it. Try to link it into the socket.”

“It looks like those androids had in that really old movie. You know the one? The second one, with the kid on the motorcycle?”

Tony laughed. “Do you mean Terminator?”

“Yeah! That’s the one!”

Tony pursed his lips and nodded. “It does. Would need more shiny though.”

“If it’s all right with you two…” Fitz interrupted. “For your information, the android arm was from the second movie, the best of the six.”

“Six? There are  _ six  _ of them?” He turned to Tony. “Movie night!”

“One, two, and six. You make me sit through three, four, and five and I’ll seriously have to reconsider the wedding,” Tony said.

“That bad?” Peter asked.

“Yes,” Fitz, Tony, and Helen said in unison.

“Bruce, will you watch them with me?”

“Oh no. I know better than to get involved here.”

“Good choice Banner,” Tony said laughing. “Okay Fitz, give me that thing.” It took some doing. The point where the armature locked into the cup was fiddly at first, but as soon as Tony heard the click, he not only had a prosthesis, he had feeling in it. “Holy fuck!”

Fitz smiled. “Wiggle your fingers. Bend the tip of your pinky.” The man walked Tony through all the function tests. “Okay. The sensation’s going to be a little crude until you cover it. The armature isn’t designed to feel delicate touch. This is the equivalent to what you might have with the deep muscle tissue or bones of an organic arm. It would be easier for me if you wanted synthskin. I already have the programming to print one out that has full sensation programmed in.”

Tony shook his head. “I want it to look like me. The same color as the suit. Made from the gold-titanium alloy, only without the open joints. A smooth texture like the synthskin, if you can do that.”

“It should be possible. I’ll need the formula for the alloy.” Fitz shook his head, looking at the formula once it was on his screen. “No, never mind. That’s too rigid to function properly. You’re still trying to build a suit of armor. What about the nanites?”

“Watch how they move across my body,” Tony said. He tapped the device on his chest. The nanites crawled over him, first the silver of the under armor, then the mid shock absorbing layer, finally the color covering.

“That’s… amazing,” Fitz said, eyes wide. “Retract them.”

Tony did.

“I can work with that, only in a variation of synthskin. Transparent so the colors show through. Let me have a sample to work with.”

“Proprietary tech. Not protected by a patent so that it can’t be duplicated. You’ll understand that I’m not just going to give them to you. You’ll have to come to my lab.”

Fitz nodded eagerly. “Yes.”

“So, we were entirely unnecessary here,” Bruce said. “Glad I made the trip this time.”

“Thanks, man,” Tony said, patting Bruce on the arm. “How’s the rebuild going up there?”

Bruce nodded. “Good. Living quarters are done. Training facility is in a temporary building but it’s next. Then the labs and the hangars.”

“Wilson’s got his priorities wrong leaving the labs until last.”

“I tried to tell him that. With you not giving us new Avengers goodies every month…”

“Soon. I’ve barely unpacked  _ our  _ lab.”

“I’m sorry for the trouble you’ve been having, you and Peter. He seems good for you, Tony.”

Tony smiled widely. “He is. Far better than I deserve.”

“I’m right here, guys,” Peter said. “And Tony, you’re absolutely perfect for me, so stop it.”

“Wedding soon I heard?”

“Yep,” Peter said grinning. “It’s going to be short notice. Nothing fancy. Just friends. You’ll get your invitation. Everyone at HQ will.”

“Congratulations. I’ll let them know.”

“Do you have a place for the jet to land?” Fitz asked.

“No. I’ll drive you and Happy can bring you back here after,” Tony said. “There’s a guest suite. You’re welcome to stay with us.” Tony flexed the armature’s fingers, smiling and shaking his head. “This is…”

“Not a suit of armor and not a murder-bot, I know,” Fitz said smiling, proud of his work.

“It’s seamless, the use of it.” He reached over and ran a finger up Peter’s arm. “I can feel you. Roughly. But I can… The warmth of your skin.”

“It’s not a murder-bot, but it is a little murder-android-y though,” Peter said. He reached over and laced his fingers through the armature’s ones. “I think it’s cool.”

Tony frowned. “I can’t accidentally squeeze him too hard, can I?”

“There are limiters on it. I can take them off. You would have to learn to control the pressure though.”

“No. This is perfect. If I need to crush someone’s neck, that’s where the suit of armor comes in.”

Fitz stayed in the penthouse for two days. He and Tony worked in the fabrication lab while Peter tried to do his best at actually interning for a businessman and not a scientist. He felt out of his depth, but whenever he went down to ask Tony a question, the man stopped what he was doing, to Fitz’ eternal annoyance, and worked with Peter’s attempts to hire a staff.

At the end of two days, many interruptions, and Tony completely leaving the lab for several hours to interview PAs, Fitz declared that whatever work was remaining, Tony could do it on his own. After Happy left to take him back to the quinjet and Helen’s clinic, Peter fell onto the sofa, laughing hard. 

“Oh my god. He is  _ so _ much worse than you. A couple of times, I thought you were going to call your suit and throttle him.”

“Damn near did. But he is brilliant. Look,” Tony held up his arm. It glistened in absolutely seamless gold and hot rod red, not an open joint on it. 

“Ooh. Let me feel. It’s warm!” Peter pulled his hand back. He’d expected the same cold metal that the Mark 50 was made from. He put one hand on each of Tony’s arms. “They’re the same!”

Tony ran his prosthesis’ fingertip across Peter’s bottom lip. Then he ran the flesh one in the same place. “I can feel a difference between my two arms, but it’s slight.”

“Yeah, same. There’s a very slight… rubbery texture. Like on your side. You have to really be looking for it though. Doing like that, one after the other comparison it shows up, but otherwise it doesn’t.”

“Can you live with that?” Tony asked.

“Can you?”

“Yeah.” Tony smiled. “It looks like me.”

“It does,” Peter agreed. “It’s weird, you almost look more like you than you did before. If that makes any sense.”

“Now all I need is a few days off so Helen can permanently attach it and fix this.” He tapped his chest where he attached the nanite device. “Damn, Peter. I feel…” Tony shook his head. “I never thought I’d be able to do so much with it. I kinda hate that I didn’t build it though.”

Peter laughed hard. “Bruised ego?”

“A bit.”

“Oh my god. You’re not a biomechanical engineer. That settles what major I’m going into.”

“Kid, you’re killin’ me.”

“Minor in mechanical engineering.”

“Phew. I thought I’d lost you to Fitz there for a moment.”

“Hell no. If I had to work under those conditions…”

“I’ll make sure to suggest that you intern for him for a summer.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“You’d learn a lot.” Tony shrugged.

“If I don’t wrap him up in webbing and hang him from the ceiling first.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Family court is notoriously bad for fathers. It is hard for a man to get any kind of custody when the woman contests it. You’re not presumed innocent, you’re presumed guilty.”
> 
> “Of what?”
> 
> “Of everything. They don’t have to make an argument. Presumption is that a child belongs with the mother. Especially a girl. Doubly so when there’s even a hint of sexual misconduct.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta make them unhappy before giving an eventual happy ending, sorry. More plot happens.

Just as Tony said it would, the news cycle cycled. The nastier hashtags dropped off the trending list in favor of some pop star’s arrest. No one cared who Tony Stark was fucking. People shrugged. Wasn’t he always fucking someone way too young for him? Cover models in California, yachting girls at Cannes, reporters fresh out of Berkeley, or was it Brown? Who cared anymore. So it was a boy. That looked different, but was it really? What? Are you homophobic or something? The worst thing that Peter got were comments that said “Hey Spider-Man. When you’re tired of fucking old men, I’m available. Swipe right.” Tony thought those were hilarious.

Peter went back to school and other than his friends wanting all the deets on what Iron Man was like in bed, and oohing and ahhing over his ring, all was boring on that front as well. Tony did insist on security following Peter — at a discreet distance and in plain clothes. 

Jeri had the CPS report, since it was filed at the New York county office where she had people willing to slip her the information she needed. Despite being good, it said visitation still needed to be supervised. It didn’t make sense, but there was no fighting the decision until it went to court. She was hopeful, but still not certain. The court date kept being pushed back, so a judge wasn’t assigned the case. Tony wanted to relent and take the supervised visits, just to get to spend _ some _time with Morgan, but Jeri said he shouldn’t. Once a CPS agent was in the house, you never knew what innocent thing they might find damning. Instead she filed counter motions every time Pepper’s lawyers moved. She also started a nuisance civil suit against Pepper for the emotional stress not having access to his daughter was causing Tony.

Pepper was still demanding more checks into Tony and Peter’s living arrangement. The latest accusation — in addition to the molestation, addiction, and playboy lifestyle — that she was throwing around was that the superhero life was too dangerous for Morgan to be raised in. Not content with all that, she was sniffing around for anything to use. Tony’s security had caught more than one PI trying to sneak into the building. One even tried flying a drone up to the penthouse, despite Manhattan’s ban on the things. Every week something new from her lawyers landed on Hogarth’s desk. 

Tony got tired of putting his life on hold. He set a date with Doctor Cho for the chest surgery to replace the socket for his arc reactor and nanite device. He was going to have surgery to permanently fix his arm to his skin at the same time. Since Helen went out of her way to assure him that he’d be fully under anesthesia during it, he agreed. It would be nice not to have to take it off and on at night. And he was really looking forward to having the arc back in him.

He and Peter set a date for the wedding — the weekend after school was out for the fall semester. A resort in Bali was chosen as the ideal hideaway honeymoon place. A PA got hired, which meant the penthouse was finally fully staffed. A construction crew was showing up every day to turn four of the lowest floors into luxury apartments for May, Happy, the PA, some of the staff, and security offices. The building was finally feeling like home.

Then Jeri called, informing him that Pepper had successfully changed the venue. She was claiming that she and Morgan still had their primary residence at the upstate lake house. It was a solidly conservative, Republican county.

“I thought that place was sold?” Tony asked.

“It was. Pepper bought out your half of the property. A third party bought it, but then she bought it back from them. I’m sorry. I never checked on it once it was sold. Still, it’s a New York Republican judge. Compared to the rest of the country, they’re practically Democrats.”

“What the hell am I paying you for Hogarth? You should’ve checked this.”

“I know. My mistake entirely.”

“Let’s hope your mistake doesn’t cast me Morgan!” Tony slammed the phone on the table, cracking the screen.

“I guess she was pissed about losing the venue change from New York to Vegas. How long has she been planning this? From the start? I swear to god if one more person betrays me…”

“Your villain origin story?” Peter suggested, trying to lighten the mood. “I could hear through the phone. Jeri still sounded hopeful.”

“It’s her job to sound hopeful,” Tony said, scraping his hands over his face. 

“When’s the court date?”

“Not until late January.”

“So the wedding?”

“Still on, baby. Everything as planned. I’m pretty sure Jeri feels so bad about this she’s going to make sure she wins. That’s about the only good take on this disaster.”

“How did Ms. Potts do it?”

“Morgan isn’t in school yet to establish residency here. She can claim to live wherever she owns property, just like I did with Howard’s Vegas condo. If this was next year and Morgan was in a Manhattan school, Pepper couldn’t get away with it.”

“It’ll work out,” Peter reassured.

“It has to, baby. I can’t even think about the alternative.” He smiled at Peter. “She’s going to love you.”

She liked me when I babysat. I’m going to be the best step-dad ever.”

“You don’t mind having a kid at your age?”

“It’s wonderful,” Peter said smiling. “I didn’t think I’d ever have a kid. Kinda gay, kinda poor. That puts adopting and surrogates way out of my reach. It’s not like I have to do it alone. Morgan told me all about what a great dad you are. She loves you.”

Tony breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. “I can’t lose her, Petey. I never thought I’d have a kid either. I’m just kinda _ me _. I guess that’s the problem. Pepper’s going to pull up all the old mud and say that she was the only good influence in my life. That without her, I’ve gone back to my old ways. Which is not true.”

“Tony, you’re a great fiance, soon to be a great husband. A fabulous dad. The man who saved the world. A brilliant scientist who has done so much good since you moved SI away from weapons. Any judge is going to see that.”

“Pepper’s just being so vindictive. I have a hard time getting over that. Maybe the judge will see through it too. It’s not like I’m trying to take Morgan away from her. I never wanted sole custody. It’s not fair for her to lose her mom. How can Pepper think it’s fair for her to lose her dad?”

“I know Jeri says supervised visits are a risk, but maybe if we had a good report on our side,” Peter suggested. “What could they find wrong here?”

Tony called Jeri and told her that he wanted a supervised visit. She was cowed enough by her mistake that, against her better judgement, she agreed.

The following Saturday a woman from CPS showed up with Morgan in tow. She had a clipboard with a sheaf of papers on it and a pen on a string around her neck. 

It damn near broke Tony’s heart to see Morgan hesitate before giving him a hug. Not a hug like they used to but a very formal one. Like the one you give to someone who is almost a stranger. “I’m sorry baby that I haven’t been able to see you more. I’ll show how Peter and I redecorated your room for when you get to come over.”

“Hi Morgan, do you remember me? I babysat you while your dad was in the hospital. I’m Peter.”

“You made mommy cry.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I fell in love with your daddy. We’re going to get married.”

“Boys shouldn’t marry boys.”

“Really? A lot of boys do. And some girls marry other girls. There are all kinds of ways to have a family,” Peter explained. “I hope we can be family. Can I come with you and your dad to show you your room? It’s down the hall from ours. In case you get nightmares. Do you?” Morgan nodded. “Me too es.”

Tony and Peter took Morgan downstairs to the bedroom floor. 

“Why’s this here?” Morgan asked, seeing the gate across the stairs that went down more level the lab.

“That’s daddy’s lab, honey,” Tony said. “The lady who came here before thought it should be blocked off. So you wouldn’t hurt yourself.” I;morgan scoffed and tilted her head sideways in a perfect imitation of an expression that Peter had seen on Tony many times.

“I don’t hurt myself. You and mommy didn’t keep me from the basement at home.”

“No, we didn’t. It’s just one of the things that’s different now. You can go down as long as I’m with you. Just not alone. Those have to be the rules.”

“Where’s my room?”

Tony led her to a door that had a big M on it in blue glitter. 

“Is this mine?” 

“Yep. Go on in.”

Everyone followed Morgan in, even the CPS lady with her clipboard. Morgan ran around checking all the drawers, finding clothes and toys. She sat down on the bed. “I don’t like Tigger anymore,” she said, screwing up her face at the stuffed animal on her bed. “He’s too bouncy.”

“Who do you like?” Tony asked. 

“Holly Hobby. Mommy lets me play with the dolls she had when she was little.”

“Well I guess we’ll just have to look for some of those next time you’re here. Have you ever been to FAO Schwarz? I’m sure we’ll find some Hobby Holly ones.”

“Holly Hobby, daddy.”

“Oops,” Tony said smiling, winking. Morgan giggled.

“They have all the legos there too,” Peter said. 

“Too messy,” she said. 

Tony was trying really, really hard not to lose it. Peter gave his hand a squeeze. Morgan noticed. “Why are you wearing that in the house? Mommy says you’re not supposed to.”

“This isn’t my suit, baby. This is my new arm. Wanna see?” Tony wriggled his fingers. “During the… big fight that mommy was in with me, daddy lost his arm. This is the replacement. But don’t worry, it works just the same. I can feel everything through it.” He reached out and lifted a strand of Morgan’s hair. “I can feel your hair on my finger.”

“Mommy says your suit is dangerous. Why isn’t that downstairs.” 

“This isn’t one of my suits. It’s just the same color. Like a coloring book. I could pick any color I wanted. I like red like you like blue.”

“Mommy’s suit is purple. It’s locked in the garage. I’m not allowed in there either.”

“That’s okay. I’d show you my arm, but it might scare you. You think it’d be okay to show her?” Tony asked the woman. 

“I’m only here to observe. You have to do what you think is best.”

Tony sighed. “Maybe another day. You know about disabled people, right? Like uncle Rhodey needs braces on his legs to walk? I need this arm to pick things up.”

“Ohhhhh.”

Tony smiled. “Yeah. It’s just a part of me like Rhodey’s braces.”

“Where’s your room?” Morgan asked.

“Right at the opposite end of the hall,” Peter said. “Come on. We’ll show you.”

“You don’t have your own bedroom?”

“No, little miss. Peter and I are getting married in a couple of weeks. Married people share a bedroom.”

“You’re not married yet.”

“Peter does have a room. He does a lot of studying for college and he needs quiet to work. But we share this room,” Tony opened the door. 

“Wow. That’s a BIG BED!” Morgan said jumping on it.

Tony laughed. “The biggest you can get. It’s great for bouncing on.” Tony nodded to Peter and he went to stand on the other side, so both sides were protected if Morgan bounced off. “All right little monkey. Time to get off the trampoline.” Tony caught her in his arms on one of her bounces, spun her around, and set her on the floor. “Come see outside.” Tony said, leading her to the windows.“ The river’s over there, and there’s a park by it.”

“That’s where I go to school,” Peter said, pointing out Columbia.

“Mommy said you’re in high school.”

“No. I go to college now.”

“Peter’s very smart like you and I are.”

“Isn’t mommy smart?”

“Of course she is. She’s just smart different. She does business. I make the things that make the business run. Like we used to with the Erector Set.”

“That’s in the garage too.”

Tony pasted on a fake smile. “That’s mommy’s decision. It’s her house.”

“Why don’t you live with us anymore? Are you still in the hospital?”

“Your mom and I live separately now. I’m going to marry Peter. Someday she might marry someone else and have him live with her. Whatever happens, you’ll always be ours.”

“Time, Mister Stark,” the woman said. “It’s been an hour.”

“I wanna stay!”

“Not this time, Morguna.”

“Why? Do you have to work?”

“No. It’s just time for you to go back to your mom. It’s a long drive.”

“Nuh nuh. We live in a big brown house in the city.

“I think you mean a brownstone.”

“Yeah. Brown_ stone _.”

Tony looked pointedly at the lady. “What? You didn’t write that down?”

“Tony,” Peter cautioned, holding his hand. “She has to write what it asks on the paper.”

“Of course. FRIDAY? Where does Morgan live?”

“In a brownstone in the city.”

“FRIDAY!!! I missed you!” Morgan said clapping her hands.

“I missed you too, Miss Morgan,” the AI said.

Who is that?” the woman looked around frantically.

“My computer. No, she’s much more than that.” Tony corrected himself. “FRIDAY is a fully functional Turing-capable artificial intelligence. I invented her base neural network for my master’s thesis at MIT. When I was nineteen.”

“Where is she?”

“Everywhere,” Tony said with a shrug. “Some of her is on the servers downstairs. Some of her is up here in the home automation. Some of her is in my suit. A lot of her is just kinda… everywhere. There’s no one place she exists. She isn’t human. She’s a program stretched over an electronic neural network. Peter? You’re better at explaining things to people.”

The woman shook her head. “I doubt I could follow. She’s a computer. That’s enough for me to know. Like my Alexa.”

“Yes, just like that,” Peter said quickly to keep Tony from losing his shit.

“Give me a hug, pumpkin. I’ll see you next time.” Tony crouched and Morgan hugged around his neck. Then she ran to Peter and did the same thing.

Morgan went and held the lady’s hand. “Do we have to take the subway home?” 

“I can call an Uber.”

“I'm sorry Mister Stark, I can’t accept bribes.” Security led them both downstairs on the elevator.

“For fuck’s sake, it’s an Uber!” Tony exploded once he was sure she had gone. “Did you hear that? She’s brainwashing my kid. What the hell!” Tony paced around the room, ranting at everything. “She’s playing with… I don’t even know what. She’s not building things. Tigger bounces too much. Legos are messy. Peter, I swear to god!”

“Yeah. It’s kinda awful. But Tony, I didn’t grow up with all {[these things around, the tech, the toys. It didn’t stop me from being curious. She’ll manage.”

Tony shook his head. “It’s not right.”

~~~

“What do you _ mean _ we got a negative report?” Tony yelled into the phone the following Monday.

“This is why I didn’t want you to do a supervised visit.”

“What the hell did we do wrong?”

“All I know is that it’s negative. I was lucky to hear that. I don’t get to see the report. Family court isn’t like civil or criminal. The judge is the only one to see it.”

“Jeri…”

“If it was here in the city, I have contacts with the clerks of court. But not upstate.”

“She doesn’t live upstate! Morgan said they’re living in the Tribeca brownstone. I have FRIDAY’s recording of her saying that. Something that woman didn’t write down.”

“Family court is notoriously bad for fathers. It is hard for a man to get any kind of custody when the woman contests it. You’re not presumed innocent, you’re presumed guilty.”

“Of what?”

“Of everything. They don’t have to make an argument. Presumption is that a child belongs with the mother. Especially a girl. Doubly so when there’s even a hint of sexual misconduct.”

Tony fumed at the implication that he would ever hurt Morgan in any way, but especially like _ that _. “I am going to destroy her. She won’t be able to work anywhere in the tech industry. Anywhere else for that matter. And she’d better not get too comfortable in the offices of my company!”

“Tony, I understand your desire to attack. She can be as petty as she wants, but as soon as you turn the tables, you’re a misogynist. You want my honest opinion?”

“What am I paying you for?”

“You’re going to lose this round. You stand a much better chance on appeal. It proves you are willing to fight for Morgan. That you want _ her _, not just revenge on your ex-wife.”

“That could take… years.”

“One, maybe two, yes.”

“While she has her hooks in Morgan, turning her against me, making her afraid of me.”

“Look, go ahead and take back SI. You own 51%. We can appoint a probate guardian to protect Morgan’s shares. Which only leaves her 15%. You can oust her with no repercussions. You can call your personal friends to keep them from hiring her. But you cannot stop her from working. That would be seen as hurting Morgan.”

“She’s out of SI by close of business today. I know you think it’s a lost cause, but fight it anyway. Have you found anything on her? Able to fabricate it? Something?”

“She’s clean. The only taint on her, she got from you when she was your PA doing your dirty work. Fabricating dirt takes at least a seed of truth. There is none.”

“Get that probate guardian now. I’m heading down to whereverthehell the office is and I’m firing her ass.”

Jeri laughed. “You don’t know where your office is?”

“Like I go there.”

“SI has two floors on Canal and Grand. It’s a skeleton operation. Most of it she’s moved to Providence.”

Tony sputtered. “How… what… WHEN?”

“She moves fast. The Providence thing started while you were in the hospital. After the divorce, it got worse.”

“Holy hell. When she betrays a person, she really does it right.” Tony shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I own this building and I’m moving SI, all of it, into it until I can build or buy another. She should’ve just pulled my heart out like Obie did.”

Tony found the SI building. He went in, saying polite things to everyone he passed, but brushing past them nonetheless. Right up to Pepper’s office, where security stopped him.

“You can’t go in, Mister Stark.”

“Funny thing. I thought the company having MY FUCKING NAME on it kinda means I can.” He pulled his watch over his hand and aimed the repulsor. “Do _ not _test me. You work for me or you can pack your things and leave.”

“Tony stop.” Pepper opened the office door.

Tony tapped his watch and the nanites crawled back into it. “Glad you’re in, honey. You’re fired.”

“You can’t do that.”

“My 51% says I can.

“The board…”

“Is fired too if they contest it. I’ll take the company off the Dow and make it private again. Screw the board. They know who signs their checks.”

“Yes. Me.”

“Whose name is in the upper left corner? Mine. Out. I’ll have your things packed and shipped over to that lovely brownstone Morgan said you’re still living in. That FRIDAY heard her say and will testify to.”

“Your AI can’t testify. She’s not human.”

“I dare any computer expert in the world to give her a Turing test. She may not be human, but she has a consciousness.” 

“I’ll take this to the board.”

“Like the proxy fight? Who won that? But go ahead. Start another one. The drop in stock value will make it easier for me to buy it back. You got a spare 40 billion sitting in _ your _ back pocket? Good luck working in tech ever again. You wanna go toe to toe with me? You think just because I wear a red suit and not a grey one I don’t know how to play _ this _game? You think Howard didn’t teach me this too?”

Pepper stood blanched and gaping while Tony continued ranting.

“All I wanted was an easy separation. You could’ve had so much more money than you got. I make things people want, for a living. I was half dead in the hospital and on my word alone I got VC from Musk, Sequoia, and Horowitz. And all I have to give them is my leftovers.”

“Tony, what about Morgan. I need to work.”

“Why? I’ll pay full child support and then some for her. You own both houses outright, no rent. You could work at Target and survive on that income. Or sell the lake house and let this be judged in New York county.”

“You’d like that,” Pepper spat.

“No. What I’d _ like _is to share custody with you. 50-50 on whatever schedule works for you. 15 days a month with you, 15 days a month with me and Peter.”

“Absolutely not. Not with that _ child _ you’re fucking.”

“Peter, according to the law, is a consenting adult.”

“He wasn’t always.”

“Prove it.”

“I can.”

“I don’t believe you. You’re bluffing and I’m calling your bluff. Prove it or shut the hell up. Peter will testify under oath that nothing happened until he was seventeen. His guardian will do the same. As will Happy. As will anyone else who Peter or I knew at that time. There is no evidence on any server.”

“Really? Ask your boy toy to check his old phone. The texts to his best friends Ned and MJ.”

Tony was surprised that Pepper actually did have evidence, but he didn’t let it show. He was in full Howard Stark mode now and Stark men did not show weakness. In response to Pepper he shrugged. “When Peter was younger, he had a crush on me. He spun a lot of fantasies to his friends that's all those messages show. For fuck’s sake, he had a picture of the suit above his bed for the usual reason that teen boys put pictures in that spot. I don’t care what you think you have. Nothing physical happened between Peter and I until _ after _he was seventeen. We’re getting married in two weeks. It’s a shame Morgan can’t be our flower girl. But she told us that quote-boys shouldn’t marry other boys-unquote. That’s some nice homophobia you’re teaching her. I doubt even an upstate court will like that.”

“Well if you didn’t put your dick in every twink with a bubble butt — this one is _ far _ from the first, and he won’t be the last — there wouldn’t be a problem. Remember, I know where all your bodies are buried.”

“Oh that’s sweet that you think that. You have no idea.

“All the rehab and relapses? I got that information before you locked me out as your family.”

“So? I haven’t used in thirty years. Haven’t had a drop of drink for five years. Peter is absolutely clean. So what does digging up that old stuff do?”

“Prove a pattern of behavior. The drugs, the drinking, the superheroing, calling down bomb strikes on our home…”

“_ My _ home. You just happened to be the live-in betrayer who used and then lied to me.”

“Betrayer? I’m not the one who broke up our family over a child.” 

“Pepper,” Tony sighed exasperatedly. “Why are you doing this?

“Because I can! Because you don’t get your way all the time, Tony. You don’t get to buy and sell people.”

“But I _ do _get to fire them,” he said, with a shark-like grin. “Get out.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Can’t sleep here,” an old lady said.
> 
> “Not asleep,” he said. “Waiting for a friend. Hi. I’m Tony Stark and you’re not.” He reached into his wallet, found a hundred and handed it to the woman. “We good?”
> 
> “Stay as long as you like,” she said, pocketing the bill and heading back through the employee door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, time to hurt them. Really bad stuff happens in this chapter. We've finally gotten to the main plot.
> 
> Graphic depiction of IV drug use. If this is triggering please skip this. The note at the bottom will give you all the plot you need by reading it.

Jeri stood. “Your honor, we will be appealing this decision.”

Tony sat in the chair, white as a sheet, unable to move, as he watched Pepper lift Morgan into her arms.

“You will never see  _ my  _ daughter again. If you show up, I’ll get a restraining order.” Morgan was crying on Pepper’s shoulder. “Shh, baby.”

The reporters got up and left. Everyone did except Tony, Peter, and the bailiff.

“Mister Stark,” he said firmly. “The judge has another case. You have to vacate the courtroom.”

Peter put his arm around Tony’s shoulder. “Tony, please,” he said, in tears again. The ones he cried listening to the vile things that Pepper’s lawyer said about him had dried. 

With Peter’s help, Tony stood on trembling legs and walked with his husband out the door.

Happy and May were waiting outside on a bench. “I… can’t drive,” Tony said. “You’ll have to leave your car here and take me home.”

“That’s okay boss. I’ll come back for it tomorrow.”

Peter helped Tony into the back seat then got in with him.”

“I’m so sorry, you two,” May said sniffling. “I know none of that was true.”

“Doesn’t matter, does it.” Tony shrugged. “It is true. That’s what I used to be like. Everything she said happened happened. All of it. I’m sorry I dragged Peter into this mess, May. He… he doesn’t deserve that. What she said about him… that’s what isn’t true.” Tony’s voice was shaking.

Peter leaned close and kissed Tony’s cheek. “It’s okay. She can say whatever she likes about me. I know who I am. I know that I love you for who you are, every bit of who you are, not your money. None of that other stuff matters.”

Tony sat straight backed and nodded, taking a few deep breaths. “Well that’s that. She’s gone. At least the way I did the time heist, she got to exist, even if it’s not with me. It’ll be okay. Now that it’s over and neither of them will ever see me again, Pepper will settle down and be nice. She’s a good mom. Time to move on with the rest of our lives, huh Petey?”

Peter squeezed Tony’s hand. “Whatever you want, Tony.”

“What I want is to go back to Bali, sit on that beach with you, and never leave. Unfortunately as CEO of SI, I can’t do that. There’s been some trouble at the California plant and I’m going to have to fly out there tomorrow.”

“I’ll go with you,” Peter said.

“Baby, you’re right at the start of the winter semester. You can’t miss class. It was bad enough you missed so much in the fall with the press frenzy.”

“You shouldn’t be alone.”

“Why? This is something I used to do all the time. Alone. Happy, I don’t want to take you away from May, but you need to drive Peter wherever he wants. I’ll use a charter pilot since you’ll be busy.” He turned to face Peter. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so busy with moving the company into our building. After the factory is sorted and the annual report for the shareholders is finished I’ll have more time then.”

The rest of the ride home was awkward. Mostly silent with bits of conversation trying to get started but going nowhere. When they got home it was late evening and being winter, dark by then. Tony changed into casual clothes. “Order whatever you want for dinner. With time zones, I have to leave for California tonight.”

The three days Tony was gone were hard on Peter. Mostly because they were hard on Tony. When he called in the evening, California time, his voice was strained. Their conversations faltered. He listened to Peter talk but volunteered almost nothing about his day or how he was doing. The calls were short. When he wasn’t at the factory, he was driving out to Silicon Valley for meetings. There wasn’t time for long calls.

When he got back to New York, he was buried in SI work. The offices were being moved into their building still. They’d be on the seventh through the twenty fifth floor, since the apartments were on three through six, with security on two. After another three days in which they hardly talked, much less had sex, Tony came in after having missed dinner. Again.

“I have a client meeting to go to. I might be late, so don’t wait up.” 

With a quick kiss goodbye from Peter, he left the building and walked three blocks down to a trendy local pub. He ordered a double Macallan, downed it in one, and ordered another. Someone sat beside him and tried to start a conversation about Iron Man.

“Not tonight, okay? Give me another please.”

“On me,” the eager guy said.

“I pay for my own drinks,” Tony growled back. He stared straight ahead, looking at himself in the barback mirror. What a fabulous face. Left side handsome as ever, if older, right side just like Freddie Krueger. When he was finally beginning to feel just a little bit drunk, he took out his phone, moved to a quiet corner of the bar, and leaned against the wall.

It took more than three calls and five minutes, but eventually he reached the guy he needed. He hailed a cab and headed uptown. Like everything in Manhattan that was made for a better, richer, clientele, the place wasn’t some seedy shooting gallery. Lovely small rooms with plush sofas and shiny coffee tables. Most had three or four people in it, but for a little extra Tony was shown to an empty room and left alone.

It had been so many years since he’d fixed he figured he’d forgotten how to do it. He sat there staring at the works and the little white packet. He should go home. Sure, he was drunk, but after the day he’d had, Peter would forgive him. A few drinks wouldn’t ruin his liver, no matter what Helen said. Besides, he was Iron Man. If he wrecked his liver, another could be bought. On the black market if need be. He doubted that someone who wanted the Hulk and Spider-Man’s blood had  _ that  _ much of an ethical compass. 

Tony kicked off his shoe and pulled his sock off. He really needed to go home. Empty out Morgan’s room. Turn it into a second guest room. After all, he and Peter did have guests occasionally. One or two of the guys from the new HQ. Rhodey sometimes when he had a meeting in town or was there on War Machine business. Having a second guest room would help. They had their room and there was Peter’s study. One guest room was there already. And Morgan’s room. It had a beautiful view looking north over the city. Rhodey always liked the lights seen from the old tower. He really should call him now. But it was getting late and he didn’t want to disturb him if he was busy up at HQ doing some kind of Avengers stuff.

He stared at the coffee table. He didn’t need to take all of what was in the packet. Maybe half of it. Just a little to take the edge off so he could go home and not be a sulky mess or be angry and snap at everything. Peter didn’t deserve that. Not after what he’d been through last week at the hearing. Getting grilled about his finances, his background, how he got into college, why he was Spider-Man instead of just ignoring the bite and living a normal life as a retired EI. And exactly how strong was his enhanced strength? How good was his control. What was he doing associating with someone like Quentin Beck. What had been their relationship. Was it anything like it was with Tony. Just how often had he led older men on before deciding on Tony Stark as his meal ticket.

Tony had to sit there and listen to his beautiful, young husband get raked over the coals and he couldn’t say a word about it. He watched as the innocent texts between Peter and his friends about their first night were twisted into something disgusting. That was the worst. 

Tony stared at the things on the coffee table. No, that was bad. Worse was watching Morgan sit on the chair by the judge, her legs dangling too short for her feet to hit the ground, while she was questioned by a woman with a soft voice, full of fake compassion. Everything she said about what their lives were like before the divorce had been twisted by Pepper’s coaching. The battle and everything after had been a terrifying time. She could see it from the windows and neither of her parents were there because even though her mom didn’t want to go fight, she knew she had to go because her dad expected her to risk her life for him. No matter what she said, the lady managed to get her to twist it. The judge looked on with sympathy while she spoke of how being a superhero had taken her dad away from her.

The CPS reports were entered into evidence. The positive first one was dismissed because it was clear that the woman was biased, overwhelmed by meeting two Avengers. The second one picked apart everything that Tony or Peter had done in the brief hour they were with Morgan. Some of it neither of them remembered happening, but seemed made up from whole cloth with the tiniest sliver of truth to make it believable. 

Tony’s past was splattered all over the room by Pepper’s lawyer as if it was yesterday’s tabloid headlines, not ancient history. The women and the men. The drugs and alcohol. His irresponsibility. His ego and obsession with his suits and being a superhero. His bout with PTSD, for which they dug up Harley Keener to testify how Tony had broken into his home, forced an eleven year old boy to take care of him, blamed his panic attack on the child, and risked the kid’s life in his mission. Then there was the destruction of their home in Malibu, with Pepper in it, because of his egotistic egging on of a madman. How Pepper had been kidnapped and held hostage, tortured and nearly killed, just so that madman could get at Tony. Morgan would be at a similar risk now that Tony wasn’t retired.

It was like Jeri said — a foregone conclusion from the moment they entered the courtroom. Every way Jeri turned, she was countered. Until Tony himself realized there was no way he was a fit parent. Pepper was right. His life of failures led up to this last one. Putting his child at risk. He never even considered who was taking care of Morgan while Pepper showed up to the battlefield. Anyone who was a fit parent would have made that his first thought.

He actually had managed to turn out  _ worse  _ than Howard. At least the drinking and the yelling didn’t put his life at risk. The discipline had been for his own good. The beatings? They didn’t put his life at risk either. Bruises and bones healed. The lake house, where Morgan was all alone, was barely far enough from the battlefield to keep it from being directly in the attack. If things hadn’t worked out so well, Thanos’ forces could’ve turned in that direction and Morgan would be dead. Failure didn’t even cover how bad a parent Tony was.

He hadn’t even realized he’d done it, but he was sitting there with an empty packet coated in a tiny bit of white dust and a brown liquid was bubbling away in the spoon he held in his fingers. He pulled it away from the flame before it could all bubble away. Tony remembered how much should be in the spoon and it was more than there was. He added a bit more water and heated it again. He thought he had forgotten how to do this. Maybe consciously but subconsciously, he knew what to do. In thirty years, you’d think he would’ve overwritten that bit of programming.

The stuff was already cooked. It’s not as if the guy running the house could sell it again like when it was in the packet. It would be a waste not to use it. Tony tied the tourniquette just above his ankle. A few gentle thwacks with a red and gold finger and the vein between his toes popped up invitingly. Really, it seemed as if turning this down and going home would be rude. He put the little piece of cotton into the cooling spoon and drew back the fresh, clean needle. At the price he paid the dealer, of course there were clean insulin needles provided. There was even a nice red sharps disposal container right next to the coffee table.

Everything around him was saying ‘I am inevitable’. Tony slid the needle into his vein. “And I am Iron Man.”

The rush hit him hard. He had been more used to speedballing. The coke sped things up, the H slowed them down, and the combination made things balanced. Pure H though… His heart started pounding and his throat tightened. He felt his face heat and he slumped back into the soft sofa cushions, letting his head loll back. The flush passed and then… Oh yes. This was… nice. Did he just say that? Soft and low and moaned in a lover’s voice? It didn’t matter, there wasn’t anyone to hear him. If a junkie nods in the forest, did he make a sound? Once the initial wild rush of pleasure passed — it lasted far longer than he remembered — his anxiety was swept away. For the first time in years, there was nothing to worry about. He knew that bad things had happened, but those were far away now. No point worrying about them. They lived in another space-time continuum. Sent off through the quantum realm to bother some other version of Tony Stark.  _ That  _ was the one who was a failure. The one over there. Not him. He was perfect. Petey always said so. 

“Petey?” No one answered. He must be at class. No worries. He’d be home and then he’d fuck him. Or maybe finally let the boy fuck  _ him _ . It always felt so nice when he was high and all relaxed. Rhodey couldn’t tell when he was high for the longest time, not until his first overdose. So he’d fuck him nice and slow, that big cock sliding deep inside. Petey had a big cock for a twink. Not as big as Rhodey. That was a thing of wonder. He lazily dragged his hand over his pants. Actually jerking off was too much effort, but touching wasn’t. He’d been a firecracker, like his Petey was, when he was young. Able to come just from getting fucked, so long as it was Rhodey doing it. Anyone else and it took a few tugs on his cock first. He didn’t have it in him right now to do that.

Tony drifted in and out of awareness, floating on that sweet oblivion, every aching muscle in his body relaxed, his brain blissfully quiet. He couldn’t think of a single line of code or a 3D projection even if he wanted to. Quiet. That was also very nice. The H was clean like the hospital morphine was, but without being in pain like when he was on the morphine, he could feel everything and absolutely nothing at all. When I get up, he thought, come down just a little, get out of this place and go somewhere else so Rhodey doesn’t know I’ve fixed… he should call his old friend and get himself fucked. He’d let his beautiful Petey do it, but he wasn’t experienced. It wouldn’t be as good. Soon as he could move again. When the world comes just a little back into focus. Just a little.

Tony walked back out into the cold. It definitely was cold in January and he’d lost his jacket somewhere, but that was okay. He was sure someone could use it and he’d just buy another. He started looking for a pay phone. It took him a few tries before he remembered that there were no pay phones anymore. His phone was in his pants pocket.

“Hey honeybear.” Tony spoke into the phone smiling. “Wanna come out and get a cup of coffee with me?”

“Where are you Tones?”

“Umm…” Tony walked down to the corner. “West 83rd and Amsterdam. Needed a bit of fresh air. Went for a walk.”

“Is Peter there?”

“No. He’s home. Needed some ‘me time’. How about making it ‘me and you time’? There’s a laundry open. We could meet there and figure out where to go.”

“It’s late. I’m up in Washington Heights visiting a cousin of mine.”

“Get in the suit and fly here. Park on the roof and take the fire escape down. It’s all good. Nobody’s going to care. C’mon platypus, all Avenging and no play makes Rhodey a dull boy.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Nope. Just bored out of my skull.”

“The suit’s upstate. I’ll take a cab.”

Tony grinned. “I’ll be here.” he leaned his head back against the puke green colored wall and closed his eyes.

“Can’t sleep here,” an old lady said.

“Not asleep,” he said. “Waiting for a friend. Hi. I’m Tony Stark and you’re not.” He reached into his wallet, found a hundred and handed it to the woman. “We good?”

“Stay as long as you like,” she said, pocketing the bill and heading back through the employee door.

“Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes… wait that’s not right. You made full bird after you saved the president. Colonel Rhodes then.” Tony smiled. “How you been?”

“You’re drunk.”

“I might’ve had a drink, but that was…” Tony checked his watch. “Two hours ago. Not drunk. Wasn’t drunk when I left the place.” He leaned his head against Rhodey’s shoulder. “You haven’t fucked me over. You haven’t even fucked me. Not for ages. I passed a hotel about four blocks downtown from here.” Tony nuzzled his face against Rhodey’s arm. “Not wearing the uniform. That’s nice.”

“You’re high.”

“I am not. I’m just… I mean why the fuck does it even matter, huh? Saved the world, lost my kid. A fair exchange. Shoulda just gone and gotten Petey and left the world to fucking rot. Roll the clock back five years. Things might’ve turned out differently. That’s how time travel works. Go back, split a new branch off into the great uncaring multiverse. Hold onto Petey and let the world hang. Take me to that hotel, honeybear.”

“You’re married, Tony, no.”

“He won’t know. I’m at a meeting with a client. It’s only… ten thirty. Still early.”

“I’d know. I don’t fuck married people, Tones.”

Tony sighed. “He hasn’t ever fucked anyone, man. No one. How’s he gonna do right by me? I’d spend the whole night teaching him and I’m not in the mood to be a teacher tonight.”

“You  _ are  _ high Tony. Don’t tell me you’re not. What did you take?”

“I had a couple of drinks. I’m not used to it anymore. That’s all.”

“Okay, show me your toes then.”

Tony laughed. “Getting kinky on me again? I’m into a lot of things, but feet aren’t one of them. If you’re not in the mood, then you’re not in the mood. Not going to press it, man.”

“Go home, Tony. I’ll hail you a cab.”

“On Amsterdam Street? At this hour?”

“I’ll walk with you over to Broadway. Peter’s probably worried about you. You’re gonna freak him out if you stay out too late. Go home Tony. He loves you.”

Tony barked out a laugh. “Yeah. For now. Counting the weeks. He should last weeks, huh? Months maybe? Five years?” He screwed up his face. “Probably not. I’ll be fucked then. What made me decide not to have a prenup? You’ll let me live with you when I’m broke and homeless?”

“Tony, Peter’s not going to be like her.”

“She wasn’t supposed to be like her. Man, you sure I can’t tempt you? I really could use a good fuck tonight.”

“Only thing we’re doing is getting is a cab and then I’m taking you home to the kid who’s in love with you.”

Tony sighed heavily. “Okay.”

Rhodey didn’t leave until Tony got in the elevator, and he watched the numbers heading upwards. “Don’t let him go out again tonight,” he told the guard.

“Petey? You downstairs?”

“In the lab, Tony,” Peter said brightly.

Tony headed down one level, saw the child gate hanging open and ripped it off its hinges. “Don’t need this,” he muttered to himself.

Peter looked up the stairs and smiled. “Did you eat? I have leftover pizza. I even got half Hawaiian for you.”

“Nah baby. I’m dead on my feet. I think I’ll just head to bed. Don’t stay up too late. You have class tomorrow. I have no idea why you signed up for an 8 am class. I must not have raised you right.”

“I’ll come up. I’m covered in web goo. I need a shower. Take one with me?”

“And get goo all over me? I’ll take one in the morning.” 

Tony slid under the soft silk sheets and curled up on his side of the bed. The fabric felt like heaven on his skin. Languidly he slithered on it until he heard the water turn off. Then he curled up again, facing the windows and closing his eyes.

Peter rolled close. “You asleep?”

“Nah. You wanna fuck me? I don’t care if it’s your first time and it’s sloppy.” Tony turned onto his stomach and sprawled out. “It’s kinda intuitive. Tab A, slot B, move.”

“You okay?” Peter asked, kissing Tony’s shoulder.

“Perfect. I’d just like to lie here for a change. You don’t have to. I’m half asleep anyway. I don’t ever want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. I told you that in the beginning. Everything at your pace. I don’t want you to feel pressured into anything.”

“It’s okay Tony. It’s just… if you’re halfway asleep, it doesn’t seem right. You don’t know what you want.”

“I do. Just can’t get it.” He curled up again onto his side, this time facing Peter. He kissed Peter’s forehead. “C’mon. Sleep with me. I really am dead tired. The meeting was awful. They’re not buying what SI is selling. Waste of time. Whole damn day, waste of my fuckin’ time.” He smiled. “Not you though. It’s worth everything to have you back and here and married to me.”

“Tony?” Peter said, waiting for the man to make an assenting hum. “Are you drunk?”

Tony shook his head. “The guy got offended. He said  _ he  _ thought that  _ I  _ thought he wasn’t good enough to have a drink with. I had one. Didn’t even finish it. I’m just not used to it anymore. I guess it made me tired. Stay until I fall asleep?”

Peter let Tony nestle him into his arms. “I’m tired too. You’re right, I have class in the morning. The webs can wait.”

They kissed for a few minutes, Tony’s kisses getting lazier and softer until Peter felt him drop off. After the week they’d both had, it was understandable. But they were together. They’d make a life of it. A little sadder without Morgan in it, but Tony would manage, he was sure of it. He’d broken the laws of physics and magic so they could be together. Tony would accept things after a while and they’d be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you skipped this chapter, all you need to know is that Tony lost custody of Morgan and he relapsed in his drug addiction.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony stared across the East River, over into Jersey. He frowned. It really was a shit view. Nothing like the Stark Tower in Midtown had been. Why he’d let Pepper convince him to sell, he had no idea. But then he had no idea why he’d let Pepper convince him of any dozen things. At least he had his arc reactor back. He let out a sigh, putting his hand over it, feeling the comforting soft vibration of it. He’d tell them to move his office to the east side of the building so he could look out across Harlem. It still was a shit view, but at least it wasn’t Jersey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you ask me to hurt them some more?  
They do get to have sex though. But I'm not sure that doesn't hurt them some more too. Pain, lots of pain. But I promise that the ending will sort everything out and there will finally be happiness for them.
> 
> Oh, I also borrowed the Ackles Ass Equation. :)
> 
> TW: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of IV drug use. I put a summary at the end, so if you do have to skip this chapter you'll have a basic idea about what happens in it.

Tony woke with a rebound headache. He popped some ibuprofen and headed out to the kitchen where the cook left breakfast spread out on warming plates before disappearing down to the staff floor. He saw that a bit of eggs and half the bacon was gone. Peter was off to his early class.

Tony hated being CEO. He’d hated it before and he hated it now. Endless meetings that did nothing except repeat the same thing that the meeting before it said, only with slightly different words of business-speak. He fiddled with his phone distractedly. Right in the middle of some guy’s presentation — head of sales, head of accounts, head of his head up his ass. Tony didn’t care and wasn’t listening. He dialed a number and started talking as if the presentation guy wasn’t even there.

“Hey? Do you make deliveries? Yeah, this is Tony. Can you make an exception? Before three though, after is pointless so don’t bother.”

The man smiled indulgently. “Lunch Mister Stark?”

“Something like that. Now what was that last figure?”

Security called at 1:30 to tell him his delivery was there. Tony smiled. “Send him up to my office. I’m stuck doing…” he shuffled papers. “Reports on the next phone launch.” 

The guy from the night before put a big cardboard FedEx envelope on Tony’s desk when he refused to be handed it. Tony tore off the opening strip and looked inside. There were two little white packets, a spoon, a candle stub, and three sealed syringes.

Tony smiled. “Fantastic. Til next time.”

The executive offices all had en suites. Nobody but the night cleaners ever went into them, especially not Tony’s. You didn’t exactly ask the CEO to use his bathroom. Tony locked the door, cooked just about a quarter of the packet and shot it in between the toes of his other foot. Nice, he thought, when the sensation finally hit him. Just taking a quarter was much mellower. Easier for no one to notice. He put everything back into the FedEx envelope, climbed on the sink counter, and slid the whole thing underneath one of the ceiling tiles, making sure it was replaced perfectly. There it would wait until tomorrow.

He wasn’t  _ really _ high, not like last night. He just felt more relaxed and without any anxiety, he was able to focus on the garbage tasks he had to do as CEO. Able to listen to what the assholes were saying. Able to work on things that were boring. Tony hadn’t worked so efficiently since he fired Pepper. He still hated the actual work, but it was getting done. Peter came to say he was home, but he had an exam to study for. Tony was deep into work so it was a peck on the cheek and a promise to see each other for dinner. 

About a half hour before dinner, Tony dismissed his secretary, sent everyone else in his outer office home for the day, and locked the outer doors. He’d been feeling antsy because, compared to last night’s high, that little bit was nothing. He climbed up in the bathroom and fished the package out from the ceiling. Now, he just needed to cook up another quarter bag and then he’d be good to deal with Peter. The boy had tried to start a conversation about court again the last time they had dinner together, and Tony definitely needed a bit of help if Peter had the idea to start up again.

It was easier fixing this time. Less self doubt, less debating with himself. Tony kept it neat and efficient. As the flush and heart palpitations passed, Tony smiled and leaned back in his tall desk chair. He spun around and watched the sunset from the big windows. The lights twinkling were fascinating. Little halos around each. He watched them trace over his eyelids and could almost feel them on his skin. Like the fireflies he used to catch when he lived with his mom and Howard on Long Island. He and his mom had chased them all evening. Until Howard came home and demanded to know why she hadn’t told Jarvis to cook dinner yet. When he’d noticed what she and Tony had been doing, the firefly jar was dashed, broken on the patio. Mom apologized about dinner and Howard went in to have his nightcap. Tony knew to make himself scarce. 

Tony stared across the East River, over into Jersey. He frowned. It really was a shit view. Nothing like the Stark Tower in Midtown had been. Why he’d let Pepper convince him to sell, he had no idea. But then he had no idea why he’d let Pepper convince him of any dozen things. At least he had his arc reactor back. He let out a sigh, putting his hand over it, feeling the comforting soft vibration of it. He’d tell them to move his office to the east side of the building so he could look out across Harlem. It still was a shit view, but at least it wasn’t Jersey.

“Hey baby,” Tony said, exiting the penthouse elevator. “Miss me?”

Peter ran over and hugged Tony around the neck. “What do you think?”

“I think I’m hungry. What did the cook leave us?”

“ I cooked!” Peter said proudly.

“Oh baby, you don’t have to do that. We have staff now.”

“I wanted to.”

“So what are we dining on tonight?”

“Goulash. May’s recipe. She came up and helped a little.”

“I’m sure it’ll be delicious.” Tony doubted anything Peter would’ve called goulash could hold a candle to what Wanda had served them at Avengers HQ, but he’d try to stomach it. He wasn’t hungry. He was still feeling soft and floaty. He slumped down into a dining chair and waited for Peter to serve dinner.

“Jarvis used to make this stew…” Tony slurred, between bites. He put the effort in to correct his voice. “It wasn’t goulash though. I don’t know what it was. Irish? English? Something. This is better. You put more spices in it.”

Peter beamed at the praise. “So… I was wondering… Have you called Ms. Hogarth yet? She called yesterday.”

“Why would I do that?”

“For the appeal.”

“Oh baby. There’s an old saying, attributed to Einstein, but I don’t think he said it. Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. When have I been stupid?”

“You’re…” Peter looked confused. “You’re just going to let it go?”

“Yep. I’m done fighting Pepper. She’s out of my life now and Morgan is hers. Time to move on.” He smiled softly at Peter, his eyes unfocused, drifting out the window to the lights. “I have a new family now. Just you and me. That’s all I want.”

Peter reached out and took Tony’s hand. “Are you sure? I know how much you want Morgan.”

“Nah. That part of my life’s over. As far as I’m concerned, we lost those five years in the time heist and I got you back instead. Worth it, baby.” Tony pushed his plate away, only half eaten. He leaned back in the chair, stretching his legs out under the glass topped table.

“It wasn’t very good, was it?” Peter asked about the dinner.

“No. It was great. I’m just not hungry.” His eyes fluttered shut and he let out a soft, contented sigh. “Ate a big lunch downstairs.”

“Do you have to go out later?”

Tony shook his head.

Peter started clearing the table. “Movies maybe? I’ve gone blind staring at those equations. Either I know them or I don’t. More study won’t help.”

Tony chuckled, still stretched out with his eyes closed. “More study never helps. Just run them in your head. The profs never care if you can actually show your work. Just scribble something illegible in the blanks, get the right answer and you’ll pass.”

Peter reached for Tony’s hand and led him to the sofa. “I think Columbia has different rules than MIT did.”

“All that ever matters are the right answers.” He put his feet up on the table and slumped again, closing his eyes.

“Okay,” Peter said, pulling his book off of the coffee table where he had curled up to do his work. “Can you help me with these?” He ran every problem he was having trouble with past Tony. Each time the man got the right answer, almost before Peter could finish the question. “Explain that last one to me. I don’t see how you got that.”

Tony shrugged. “Was my math wrong? It never is.”

“No, I don’t think so. I just… I don’t follow.”

“Then use the equations,” Tony said snappishly, looking over at Peter out of the corner of his eye. “Rhodey always had to memorize them. Even ballistics once he was in the Air Force. It used to drive me crazy. I’d be sitting there trying to keep my mouth shut while he whirred away at the problem like some old IBM PC. Some people need equations.”

“That’s just what works for me. I can’t keep up with you on the math.”

“Nobody can. I’m sorry, don’t worry about it. You pick the movie baby. I don’t care what we watch.”

Peter picked Star Trek IV. He liked it because of the whales. It had been one of his and Ned’s favorites. Tony remembered it. He had been a year younger than Peter when it came out. It was a pleasant background noise while he relaxed and let himself drift on waves of blissful nothingness. 

“You fall asleep on me?” Peter teased.

“Nope. Just relaxed. Being home, being with you. Feels good.”

Peter leaned over, nearly crawling into Tony’s lap. He kissed him, hot and fierce. Tony slowed things down. He licked over Peter’s lips. Sucked gently on his tongue. Moaned into his mouth. When Peter reached down between them, Tony swatted his hand away. “Not yet,” he murmured. “Wanna kiss s’more. You taste so sweet, baby.”

They kissed for a long time, Tony gently touching Peter, caressing his arms, rubbing his back, running his hands over the tight muscles of his thighs. “You’re so much stronger than you look. It’s sexy,” Tony whispered against Peter’s neck. “Bet you could pin me down and I wouldn’t be able to escape.”

“I could web you to the headboard and ride you all night,” Peter said between kisses

“Or you could web me to the headboard and fuck me all night with that pretty dick of yours.” 

“Tony, I’ve never done that before.”

“Ever wanted to? Ever wondered what it would be like to fuck something other than your fist?”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Baby, I know it’s been awhile, but unless you’re planning on using  _ all  _ your spidey strength on me, you aren’t going to hurt me. It’s like falling off a bicycle. You don’t ever forget how.”

“You mean riding a bicycle,” Peter said, chuckling.

“Never learned. So it was more like falling off for me,” Tony said with a soft grin and a giggle. “Trust me, Petey. You won’t hurt me. It’ll feel good. For both of us.”

“Would I have to tie you up?”

Tony shrugged. “Only if you wanted to. I’m more than happy to just lie there and bite the fuckin’ pillow. I’m a pillow-biter.” Tony giggled again. “You know what that means?” It was a word Howard taught him. “C’mon baby. I promised you that if I ever got relaxed I’d let you fuck me. Feelin’ pretty relaxed right now. Bed? Or you wanna bend me over the sofa right here like I did to you that one time?”

“Bed. I mean, if you’re sure, Tony. I’m fine with not ever doing it.”

“If you’d rather ride me, that’s fun too. A lot. You’re so beautiful. Stunning. When you sit back with my cock inside you, I can watch those beautiful abs of yours. Your skin… It fuckin’ glows. You’re gorgeous, Petey. I’ll take you anyway I can get you, ‘k?”

Peter grabbed Tony’s hand. “I’ll try. I mean, who’s going to pass up the chance to fuck Iron Man,” he said, grinning.

“Ugh. Just Tony, baby. Gettin’ too old for that other shit. Unless the world’s ending and there’s no one else to handle it, I’m kinda retired. Mostly. Maybe. Probably not. I dunno. I don’t want to think about that. I just want to think about getting you into bed with me.”

Peter laughed. “You’re funny when you get relaxed. Not too sleepy like you were last night? Not exactly the best confidence booster for my first time.”

“Baby, I could never fall asleep on you. C’mon. Bed’s this way.” Tony gripped onto the handrail going down the stairs. He knew he wasn’t as high as he’d been last night, but it was such an easy, pleasant feeling. 

Tony stripped out of his clothes, tossing them off somewhere. He smiled at his reflection in the dresser mirror. Yeah. He looked like himself now. Muscles a little softer, but getting back into decent shape. With the arm actually working, and in his colors, the glowing nanite receptor in his chest — he was who he was supposed to be. Sure, there was still the scarring, but he had been keeping his appointments with Helen, so what was left, he could learn to live with.

Peter stood behind Tony, naked, pressing up against his back, circling his arms around the man’s waist. “Did I lose you in the mirror?”

“Narcissus. You more fit the bill on that. So beautiful I could drown in you.” He turned in the circle of Peter’s arms and bent down to kiss him. He took Peter’s hands in his and stepped back, raking his eyes over the boy, slowing his gaze when he looked at Peter’s cock. “Every inch of you is gorgeous.” He reached between them and hefted Peter’s cock in his hand, stroking slowly. “These inches in particular,” he added giggling. Tony dropped to his knees. “Gonna get you hard, ‘k?” He took Peter into his mouth.

Tony had sucked his cock before. Often. Lying in the bed. But never… not on his knees. It felt awkward since it was new, but it was hot too. Having  _ that _ man on his knees, sucking, moaning, gripping Peter’s hips to pull him in deeper. “Fuck, Tony,” Peter sighed.

Tony pulled off. “Too much?”

“No.” Peter breathed heavily.

Tony wrapped his mouth around Peter’s cock again. This time he reached for Peter’s hand and put it on the back of his head. Tony took the boy all the way down. Peter wasn’t as thick as Tony was. He was long and lean, just like the rest of him. He fit perfectly down Tony’s throat. He pulled off, smiling up at Peter then went down again. That time he slipped his tongue out and when he’d pressed his nose into Peter’s curls, he flicked the tip of it across the boy’s balls at the same time as he hollowed his cheeks, sucking. Some skills you never  _ do _ forget, Tony thought. Impressing a guy with that trick? He’d laugh if his mouth wasn’t so full. Peter’s whole body shuddered.

“Mmm. You’re all hard and wet, Petey. Want you inside me.” Tony pulled himself up using the dresser as leverage and walked over to the bed. Peter wasn’t the only one who was hard. Tony grabbed the lube and slicked some over his cock before lying down on his stomach in the middle of the big bed. He spread his legs and pushed his ass up. Invitingly, he hoped.

“Pass me the lube?” Peter asked.

Tony handed the boy the bottle. “Not too much,” he said thickly. “Like the stretch of it.”

“It’s been a long time since you’ve been fucked. You’re like a born-again virgin, Tony. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Tony looked over his shoulder, his eyes dark with desire. “Yeah, It’s been… shit… I don’t even know how long. But you’re not going to hurt me baby. I remember what to do.” He looked Peter up and down again as the boy knelt between his spread legs. “God, you’re fuckin’ delicious. Want you so bad. Just get your cock slick. That’s all I need.”

“You…?”

“Yes, I’m sure, Peter. Just fuck me.”

Peter tried to do it like Tony did to him. He slicked one finger and pressed against Tony’s opening, slowly slipping it in.

Tony sighed in frustration. “I said fuck me, not finger bang me like I’m some girl.”

“You’re a bossy bottom, y'know?”

“I’m a bossy top too. I just gotta be running the fuck either way.”

Peter cocked his head to the side. “That’s not a bad thing. I kinda like you bossy.”

“Then let me boss you some more. Put that dick of yours in me, Petey. Now.” Tony said firmly, before losing his attitude and giggling at himself. 

The sound was so unlike him, high pitched and light. Peter could hardly believe that it came out of Tony. He took his cock in his hand and pressed it against Tony’s hole.

“Fuck yeah,” Tony breathed out slowly. “Oh yeah Peter. I want you so bad. Nobody else, baby. Mmm. That’s it. Fill me up, precious. Big dicked twinks are the absolute best.”

Peter leaned forward. Tony was so tight and hot around him. It was almost too intense, feeling him arch and push back, forcing Peter to go deeper. Fucking wasn’t natural to him like it was to Tony, but he knew what he liked having done to him. Peter grabbed Tony’s hip with his hand and pulled the man back farther.

Tony hissed with pleasure. It really had been too long to have gone without something this good. “God Petey… that’s… fuck. Both hands.”

“What?”

“My hips. Both hands. Pull me down onto you. Make me take it. Does it feel good? ‘M I tight for you?”

“Fuck Tony. You’re so tight. So hot around me. I can feel you pulling me in.”

“‘S cos I need you. Go on, baby. Fuck me senseless.”

If he thought about it, Peter would hesitate. Fucking Tony was something so far outside what he’d ever even dreamt about. He liked getting fucked so much, he couldn’t imagine that reversing things would feel good at all. But having Tony layed out in front of him, all his muscles soft and relaxed, squirming his ass, almost begging for more… Peter thrust in and out. Not fast yet. Tony seemed to really enjoy the slower, more sensual pace and Peter wanted to make it good for him.

“Tony, you’re beautiful.”

“Mmm. Tell me that again. Fuck me while you do. Yeah, like that. Long strokes. God you’re good at this.”

“You look gorgeous. Watching my cock slide into you. You opening for me.” Peter shook his head in disbelief. “Is this what it’s like when you fuck me?”

“Nah baby. You’re so hot I can’t hold back like you’re doing. I get all impatient to be makin’ it so you give me all those fabulous noises. But I like it when it starts off slow. Just like this, Petey. You’re taking such good care of me. Gonna want it faster though when you’re ready. Hard. Rough as you wanna give it.”

Peter bottomed out and Tony ground his hips against him until it was driving him crazy. He wrapped his arm low around Tony’s stomach and pulled the man into an arch. Tony moaned and moved his ass some way that made it all round, a perfect curve. “I could plot that curve on my calculator,” he told Tony. “Your ass is beautiful.”

“y=-(sin(x^(1.7/6)+4)+(1/x))+10” Tony said laughing.

“What?”

“How to graph the curve of a guy’s ass,” Tony explained.

Peter laughed. “When I’m fucking you, you remember equations?”

Tony’s shoulders shrugged. “Fuck me harder. Let’s see if you can make me forget ‘em again.”

Peter slammed hard into Tony. “God you’re insufferable even when you’re getting fucked.”

“Yep. C’mon baby. I need you so much.”

Peter tried to fall into a rhythm, hard and fast, like Tony did. But he’d stutter when the man’s tight heat got to be too much. Holding himself deep and still inside for too many beats until the intensity passed and he could go back to fucking into Tony as hard as he could. “That good for you, Tony?” Peter asked.

“Mmm. Harder baby. I’m not gonna break. I wanna feel how strong you are. Let go a little. Make me not be able to sit down tomorrow. Oh god Peter yes,” Tony moaned.

Peter gripped his hips harder and fucked him deep and fast, almost pulling out each time before slamming back in. He kept him from sliding up on the bed by holding tight onto Tony’s hips. “Shit. Sorry.”

“Why?” Tony managed to grunt out between panting.

“I grabbed… Oh god Tony!... you too… hard. You’re gonna have a bruise.”

“Do it again. More.” The words rushed out of Tony fast. “Mean it.”

Neither of them could talk after that beyond maybe managing to halfway moan a name, heard over the sound of their bodies together. 

“Tony. Tony!” Peter was trying hard not to come yet.

“Come inside me, Petey. Nobody’s ever come inside me before. God Peter. I want it.”

Peter wasn’t sure he heard Tony correctly. The man’s words were broken on gasps and moans. Peter was overwhelmed, balanced on the edge, trying to not go over it. But Tony wanted him to. Peter pulled Tony back onto him, thrusting furiously until he finally held himself inside, coming, calling Tony’s name. He fell across Tony’s back, pushing him down flat onto the bed.

Tony felt Peter pulsing deep within him. He felt his come hot and filling him. “Don’t pull out,” Tony said quickly. “Stay like that. Inside me.” He reached back, pulling Peter’s arm underneath him. “Mmm. Hold me.” Tony felt Peter start to move to the side. “Please stay.” He pressed himself back on Peter’s softening cock. “Seventeen,” Tony said smiling. “Bet if you stay like this, you’ll get hard again.” Tony clenched and unclenched his ass. “Bet I can make you hard again.”

“Tony you’re…”Peter wasn’t exactly getting hard again, but neither was he going down as fast as he usually did after coming. “Shit Tony. You’re a greedy fuck.”

Tony’s laugh rumbled against Peter’s chest. “Can’t help it. You’re a natural. You feel so good inside me like this. Keeping me full. Keeping your come inside me.”

“Did you mean it?”

“What?”

“Nobody's ever come inside you?”

“Yeah, baby. I’m an old man, remember? You couldn’t exactly do that when I used to get fucked. 80s, 90s? Barebacking wasn’t a thing. Not if you had half a brain.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Peter kissed Tony’s back. “So I’m your first,” he said grinning at the thought of something he’d done to Tony that no one else ever had.

“First and only. Only one I want.”

Peter finally slid off Tony’s back and curled up along the man’s side while he stayed on his stomach. “You wore me out.”

Tony chuckled. “Didja like it?”

“God yeah.” Peter scrunched up his face in thought. “Did you come?”

“Nah. Didn’t need to. Felt too good getting fucked.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I couldn’t hold out any longer though.”   
  
“Baby, nothing to be sorry about. You made me feel…” Tony sighed. “Wonderful.” He shrugged. “Don’t always need to come to feel good.”

“Wanna? I can suck you off.”

“Baby, then I’d have to move. Kinda don’t want to do that,” Tony said, turning his head and looking at Peter. “That was so good. Pull the covers up. Getting cold.”

“Do you want to go clean up?”

“Not moving, remember? You can though if you wanna.”

Peter smiled and draped his arm across Tony’s back. He kissed his red arm. “Feel that?”

“Yep. Feel you all along my side. Feels nice. Slide up here and kiss me goodnight.”

Peter did and they kissed like the night before, until Tony dropped off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you weren't able to read this chapter because of the drug use, here's a summary.
> 
> Tony loses custody of Morgan. He doesn't take it well and goes deeper into his drug addiction. He and Peter have sex in which Tony bottoms. Only thing is, he's very high at the time.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony’s phone alarm went off. He fumbled for it on the nightstand and tossed it against the window. It didn’t break and went off again ten minutes later, only now it was way across the room and he couldn’t just turn it off.
> 
> “Ugh. Don’t want to go to work.”
> 
> “I gotta go to school though. Got a calc exam.”
> 
> “Wake me up before you leave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony hits bottom. Gotta give him some more pain first. He gets introspective and this chapter is the reason for the tag "Howard Stark was a homophobic asshole" and abusive (but we knew that.) Things start to get better next chapter, posted tomorrow. 
> 
> TW: graphic depictions of drug use. As always, there will be a summary posted at the bottom if you're unable to read this chapter.

Tony’s phone alarm went off. He fumbled for it on the nightstand and tossed it against the window. It didn’t break and went off again ten minutes later, only now it was way across the room and he couldn’t just turn it off.

“Ugh. Don’t want to go to work.”

“I gotta go to school though. Got a calc exam.”

“Wake me up before you leave.”

Peter kissed Tony’s back. “Lazy. Hey, what was that formula for your ass?”

“No fuckin’ clue. Ask your teacher. Tell him you need the ass equation.” Tony laughed. “See what he says.”

“I will do no such thing, you pervert.”

“You had fun last night?” Tony asked lazily, his voice still heavy with sleep.

“Uh… yeah.”

“Me too. Go eat. I’m gonna sleep.”

When Peter woke him later, reluctantly Tony hauled himself out of bed. With a kiss goodbye and wishes for good luck, he sent Peter off to school.

Tony yawned and scrubbed his hands across his face. “God I could use a bump.” Instead he settled for a steaming hot shower before he tugged on a suit with a t-shirt and headed down to SI hell.

“Why can’t you just _ handle it _,” Tony growled at the first person who had the misfortune of bringing him the daily reports. “Is it that hard for you department heads to actually head your departments? Do I have to hold your hands and wipe your noses?”

Once the guy had gone, Tony called his dealer. The kid answered the phone groggily. “Get up, asshole. I need another delivery today, twice as much as yesterday so I don’t have to call for a few days. And I need something to bring me up. Bring me… I dunno… a couple eight balls. I feel like shit and I’ve got a full day.”

Tony called his secretary in and told her to go down to the bank and bring back some cash. “I want to buy a present and I don’t want it showing up on the card. I guess, what, five thousand? I don’t know. That should do though.”

He was irritable. He hadn’t had to deal with cash in years, much less what the price of drugs were. The guy was probably overcharging him, but it was good shit and he really didn’t want to haggle, just to get the deal taken care of with no fuss.

His personal phone rang. “Rhodes. How ya doing?”

“I was going to ask you that, Tones. You were out of it the night before last.”

Tony laughed. “That’ll happen when you have to have drinks with some prick for work and you haven't had anything in five years. One scotch and I was off my ass.”

“Tony, you shouldn’t have. Helen said…”

“I know. I’ve only got about three quarters of a liver in me. It’s not something I’m planning to do again. It’s just… some people won’t make a deal without a little social lubrication.”

“Do you remember that night?”

“Unfortunately. Sorry, Rhodey. Let’s just chalk it up to me being a lightweight, okay? I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable. But thanks for getting me home.”

“No problem. Everything okay now?”

“Oh yeah. Just up to my eyeballs in SI stuff. Makes me almost miss Obie, if the man hadn’t gone psycho. I want to hire someone but right now I can’t trust anyone to do it.”

“It’s easy in the military. The generals tell the colonels to jump, us colonels tell the captains to jump and eventually some airman leaps for the sky,” Rhodey said, laughing. “I don’t get your world.”

“I don’t get it either. There was like five or six months where I technically ran things before I palmed it off onto Pepper. Who was worse? Obie tried to kill me, Pepper screwed me over. Still… hard choice between them.”

“I’m just glad you’re all right. Stay away from the scotch, man. Please.”

“Planning on it. What do you want?” Tony hollered at the woman who was interrupting his call. “Gotta go, Rhodey. Nobody here knows how to do their job.”

Tony told his secretary to cancel all meetings, not to let anyone in except the delivery guy. As soon as his delivery was there, he was going to spend the day in his lab. His dealer paid, Tony gathered what was left in the office as well as the new package, then headed up to the penthouse.

Tony went down to the lab, found a simple biometric lock. “Where won’t you look…” He muttered, pacing, heading to the bedroom level. “Not our room. Not that other one. Wait. you would never look in Morgan’s room.” He attached the thumbprint lock to the center drawer in the Morgan’s bathroom.

He did a couple of lines with every intention of enjoying his lab day. Then he came out into the bedroom. It was still set up the way he and Peter had done together. A big floppy Tigger sat in the middle of Morgan’s bed. Tony collapsed down onto the mattress and stared for… he lost track of time. It wasn’t as long as it felt like. The windows were still in the shadow of the morning sun. 

“‘M a failure, Tig,” he mumbled to the stuffed animal. He certainly had a long list of failures. Enough years behind him to really rack up the numbers. Especially when you’d started accumulating them as young as he had. The first ones were minor. Getting in Howard’s way. Not moving fast enough or hiding well enough. Catching the back of his hand. The disappointed berations when he hadn’t solved a problem fast enough. When his wiring was clumsy. When his program didn’t run. When he couldn’t recite back a problem. Until Howard got tired of dealing with him. Off he went to boarding school at seven. 

There was this beautiful blond boy two years ahead of him. Tony doted on him, followed him around everywhere. On parents’ day he was so eager to introduce him to Howard and his mom. He’d made a friend. He was told that he wasn’t at school to make friends. The boy was a waste of Tony’s time. Even though Tony was a first year and the boy a third. He would only hold him back if he tried to dumb himself down to his level. Howard talked to the school’s counselors to put Tony into accelerated classes, doubling up on the coursework, taking him out of anything that wasn’t useful, like music and art. His mom objected, but a few withering looks and words of warning and she was kissing Tony goodbye, telling him to do good work. Howard had left the moment he could, waiting in the car, calling to his mom to hurry up.

Reluctantly, Tony had to admit Howard was right. For the first time, he had classes that almost kept up with him. He jumped two grades by the time he was nine. Failures? Not too many. He was doing better. Nothing but the constant disappointment in Howard’s voice and Tony was used to hearing that. 

As long as Tony kept his grades up and was skipping ahead in his classes, his teachers left him alone. Having been put those two years ahead meant he was dorming with the beautiful blond boy whose name was Richard. Tony was eleven and Richard was thirteen. No, Richard wasn’t anywhere near as smart as Tony. Tony did most of his homework for him. But they stayed up late nights together with Richard reading to him from books he’d been assigned in Literature, something Tony was skipping.

It started out simply. He wanted to read along in the book, so he curled up in Richard’s arm and followed along to the story about hobbits and wizards. More times than not, they fell asleep like that, Tony nestled close, Richard’s fingers threading through his hair. Richard was the first boy he kissed. It didn’t go well. After that, Richard insisted they sleep in their own beds. At the end of term, Richard requested a move and Tony got a new dorm mate. 

Tony was thirteen (he skipped another year) and Jeremy was sixteen. Jeremy wasn’t upset when Tony kissed him. Anything but. After curfew hours didn’t involve story time, but long sessions of making out. Jeremy taught Tony how to kiss properly. But then he would get the guilts. Tony was so young. But guilts weren’t enough to stop Jeremy from being utterly infatuated with the brilliant dark haired boy with the beautiful lashes. Tony was insistent. He wasn’t young. He’d read forbidden books. He knew what he wanted. He was in three classes that were a year older than what Jeremy was taking. He wasn’t _ young _. Lips locked, hands wandered, things Tony had only read about in those forbidden books happened, and someone didn’t knock on their door before opening it.

Jeremy, as the older boy, was presumed to be the instigator. He was expelled. Tony was sent home early from term with a full report of the reason why. Tony’s vocabulary grew by a lot words, all of which Howard taught him the meaning. Not with an open hand but with a fist. When he proved how weak boys _ like that _ were (of course Howard used far different words for boys _ like that _) and Tony fell to the floor the fists were changed to kicks. Followed by a hospital visit where he told the doctor that he tumbled down the long staircase in the foyer and broke his ribs. 

Tony’s career at Hampshire was over. When he returned to school in the fall, it was to the strict Catholic school, St. Francis, where he was boarded in a single room and kept under the watchful eyes of the brothers. Which was fine. The school had no problems letting Tony take whatever classes he wanted, letting him jump ahead as much as he could handle. He was just a little less of a disappointment. But Howard never did forget what happened at Hampshire. When drunk enough, he could always be relied upon to remind Tony of the disgust he felt just looking at him after what he’d let that boy do to him. 

Every time that he returned to school after the hellish breaks, Tony was looking relentlessly forward. He went as fast as he could and, four years ahead of his class, he graduated. Howard and his mom were in Israel that spring. Massive weapons orders and an opportunity for his mom to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Jarvis was there to see him graduate. That fall Tony Stark was one of the youngest people, at fifteen, admitted to MIT engineering. Howard was _ almost _ proud of him. But he was only _ one _ of the youngest not _ the _ youngest.

Before shipping him off, Howard made it clear that he expected Tony to wash out. If he had really been a genius, he wouldn’t need college at all. He’d be a self-made man like Howard was. Howard moved to California, clear across the country. He missed his mom, but finally Tony was free. Except whenever he needed money, for anything, Howard exacted his toll. But that was only fair. Everything belonged to Howard after all. It wasn’t like a fifteen year old could pay his own way through MIT. But he was living on his own. 

All the failures he racked up at college and thereafter, they were entirely his fault. He couldn’t get out of them by blaming Howard. Including his most recent failure. At least his parents weren’t so bad that Tony had to be taken away from them. At least Howard, with all his flaws, was a fit parent. Tony was a failure at the most basic skill a man could have: being a father. 

“And on that note, my Tiggery friend,” Tony said, “I think it’s time to relax. A man can only do so much introspection without having liquor to blame for it. So unless you’re hiding a bottle in your bouncy tail, I think I’ll take door number two,” he said, jerking a thumb towards the bathroom.

Another couple of lines just to help fight the nod. A nice full dose of dope, then he and Tigger had a date. The little bit of coke did nothing to keep him alert. Money should buy the best drugs available, but the coke was shit, cut all to hell and back. His dealer’s H however… that was prime. Straight from Afghanistan, just like Iron Man. Tony curled up on Morgan’s bed and watched the texture of the daylight change.

By the time the sun had come around the building to its west side, his oblivion was easing down to simple relaxation. That wouldn’t do. Fortunately there were two more little bags in the FedEx envelope. Only a half of one, he decided. It was exceptionally pure, after all. But he _ really _didn’t want to think about in whose room he was, nor did he want to think about Howard and MIT and his mom. She would’ve loved Morgan. She always wanted to have a second child, a little girl, but she’d barely managed to carry Tony to term. The doctors said another pregnancy was too risky.

“You’re thinking again,” Tony cursed at himself. Definitely more than half a bag was needed. “Such a perfect off switch. Shoulda come home with a few bricks of this instead of a chest full of shrapnel, huh Tig? Timeline would’ve branched different. Wonder if there’s another me out there talking to another fuzzy you who got rich on this shit instead of bombs? Wonder which of us has the higher body count.” The flush in his face and his heart pounding was scarcely noticeable. Tony just watched the sky darken though half-lidded eyes until they closed.

Tony felt hands pulling at him. He heard Peter saying his name. He smiled crookedly. “Good morning baby.” His tongue felt thick, like cotton was tangling around it.

“Tony, what the fuck!”

He cleared his throat. “Oh hell.” He stretched his legs out and felt something pinch on his toe. He looked out the window. “I overslept.” He frowned at Peter. “You were supposed to wake me up.”

“Are you all right?” Peter’s voice sounded panicked. 

Tony rubbed at his face. “Yeah. Just tired. Sun’s not even up Petey. I didn’t oversleep. Why you up?” He scratched at his toe with his other foot and heard something skitter across the floor. “Too early to be co… coord… nated.”

“Tony! Don’t fall back asleep. Rhodey said to keep you awake til he gets here.”

Tony screwed up his face. “Why’s honeybear coming? He told me to come home to you.” Tony smiled. “Which I did. Because I love you, mio bambino caro. My dear baby boy. I love you Petey, but it’s dark out and I wanna go back to sleep. Even Tigger’s tired.” Tony held the stuffed animal close to his chest. “‘S a nice room.”

“Yes, Tony. You made it nice.”

“You helped. You’d’a made a good step-dad. Good dad. Better’n me. Too much of him in me. But I love you. Never loved anyone before. People like me, we don’t fall in love.” He wiped his face again, rubbing his fingers over his nose, trying to scratch an itch. “Oh Petey. I love your hair.”

“I love _ your _hair,” Peter said. He rubbed at Tony’s arms, trying to pull him to sit upright, and failing because it felt like Tony had no bones. The man splayed back down onto the bed.

“Nah. I let it go gray. You’re pretty. I’m not supposed to say that.” Tony grabbed a pillow and balled it up under his head. “You are though. Prettiest boy I ever met. God I wanted you so bad. Couldn’t touch though.”

“It’s okay Tony. You can touch me all you want. Just stay awake.”

“You won’t let me go back to sleep. Why are we up so early? We don’t have to be awake now. Come to bed with me. I’ll dump Tigger for you. He’s a fickle bitch. Always cheating on Pooh. Come lay down with me.”

“Oh Tony, what did you do?”

“Shoulda been okay but the coke was shit. Coke to go up, H to come down. You mix ‘em right, it’s just about perfect. But that’s okay. The down’s nice on its own. Shit’s from Afghanistan. Just like me. Two things come out of that place. Oblivion and Iron Man. I’m sorry Petey. Your superhero crush fuckin’ ruined your life.”

“No you didn’t.”

“Got you all over the papers. You had to lie. You didn’t lie before me.”

“Tony, of course I did. I’m Spider-Man. I lied to everybody.”

“Okay, but that’s a _ good _lie. God Petey. You probably would’a met a nice girl. Taken her to prom. Fumbled around in the back seat of a car. Been a kid.”

“Tony, I’m gay. Never would’ve happened. I tried dating girls. It didn’t take.”

“Didn’t try hard enough. It always takes. You _ make _it take. Instead you wound up with a dirty old man. A fuckin’ pervert.”

“I love you, though.”

“Bullshit. You have a crush on Iron Man because I saved your ass when you were a little kid. You don’t think I checked that out? Knew how to manipulate you? Get you in my bed?” Tony screwed up his face and scratched at it with his fingernails. “Honey, I’ve been seducing pretty boys since I was in middle school.”

“Tony, stop being an ass to Peter.”

“Platypus! What’re you doin’ here? Did I call you? It’s too early to call anybody.”

“You’re awake. When did you fix?”

“Don’ know. Ask Tigger. He helped.”

“Stop scratching your face, please Tony?” Peter took Tony’s hands in his.

“Did you ask?” Tony said, looking at Peter.

“Ask what?”

“The ass equation. Could’a been extra credit.”

“Tony you did not tell the kid about that.”

“Why not? When we were in school, you had the most mathematically perfect curve from your back to your ass. I just graphed it. Martins? No. Merton. He gave me credit cos I actually knew an equation for once. Didn’t tell ‘em whose ass it was, though.”

“Come on Tony. We need to get you to the ER,” Peter said, trying to help him up.

“Iron Man does not go to the fuckin’ ER. Who do you think I am? Daredevil?”

“I think you’re high as a kite,” Rhodey said, “and you’re upsetting your husband.”

Tony sighed and slumped in Rhodey’s arms. “He married me. I love him. But he shouldn't have.”

“Why not, Tony? Getting married is what you do when you’re in love.”

“You don’t love me. You’ve got a crush. You’re seventeen for fuck’s sake. I didn’t fall in love until I was forty eight.”

“Tony, I am not going to let you blow up this relationship.” Rhodey turned Tony’s head to face Peter and made him look down at the boy. “Stop making Peter cry or I’m going to leave you and go the fuck home.”

“Don’ leave me. I’m sorry Petey. I suck. But I do love you. Lots. More than three thousand. Like a million.” Tony started crying. “She’s gone.” Big wet tears ran down his face. “God, Petey. She was perfect. You should’ve seen her when she was born. All red faced and crying. Had scratches on her cheek.” Tony frowned. “Had to put socks on her hands.”

“Babies do that, Tony,” Peter said softly.

“How do you know?”

“Mrs. Rodriguez, next door. She’d get so tired she’d let me babysit while she napped.”

Tony smiled. “Bet you were a good babysitter. You’d’a been so good with her. When she came with that lady, she was easier with you than me. Doesn’t matter. She’s gone. I had to get you back. _ Had _to baby. Can’t live without you. There was her and there was you. And you weren’t here. Need you both.”

“He’s talking, so that’s good,” Rhodey said to Peter.

“But shouldn’t we take him to the hospital?”

“He hasn’t OD’d. Just got too high.”

“Can’t they do something for that?”

“Yeah, they can. But then it’s all over the press and the cops get involved.” Rhodey shook his head. “He’s conscious, talking, standing on his own two feet, mostly. He’s doing okay. Aren’t you, Tony.”

Tony rested his head against Rhodey’s chest. “I _ wanted _to be in love with you.”

“Tones, I was headed to the Air Force academy. You had to go back to California. I’m glad you weren’t in love with me. It would’ve broken your heart.”

“I liked you though. Like you. Present tense. You’re my best friend.”

“I’m your only friend. Not much competition.”

“You’re the only one who didn’t betray me. You and Petey. You wouldn't really leave me?”

“Nah Tony. I’ll just kick your ass.”

“Okay. God I wish someone could scratch my face!”

“Tony, you’ve already scratched it raw,” Peter said, still holding Tony’s hand away from his face.

“I know. It’s just the creepy crawlies. Anyway, I’m okay. You can go home, Rhodey. I can go to sleep. Peter can go back to school. I’m starting to come down.”

“That isn’t how it works, Tony. You know that,” Rhodey said, holding Tony close, giving him a side hug.

“I can manage it. It’s only been a few times. I won’t even have withdrawals. I can’t have Pepper finding out. God I don't think I ever wanted to kill Howard as much as I do her. Not even when he was breaking my ribs. _ They _healed. Pepper though… What she did… It isn’t going to heal.”

“You’ll get through, Tone,” Rhodey said. 

“Tony, when you’re thinking clearly, you’ll be able to fight,” Peter said. “Jeri said we can appeal. You never gave up once you knew there was even a little chance to bring me back.”

“Listen to your boy, Tony. Didn’t you always tell me how smart he is?”

Tony chuckled. “As a fuckin’ whip.” Tony reached out clumsily to cup Peter’s face and Peter leaned into the touch. “Couldn’t love anyone who wasn’t just as smart as me.” Tony smiled.

“Trust me then, Tony. You get cleaned up. Let Rhodey help you. I’ll help you…”

“Baby, you’re so sweet. But I’m a lost fuckin’ cause. Lost before you were ever born.”

Peter stepped around to stand directly in front of Tony, where Rhodey was helping him stay upright. He reached up, took Tony’s face in both hands harshly and bent his head down. “Look at me!” Tony’s eyes flew open at hearing Peter’s voice so unusually firm. “If I’m so smart, do you think I could fall in love with a lost cause? Do you think I didn’t knew _ exactly _ who Tony Stark was? That I couldn’t tell the difference between your press and your bullshit and who _ you _ are? That I didn’t do my fucking _ homework _ before I gave myself to you? You _ will _ let us take care of you. You _ will _ take care of yourself. Me and James can’t do that for you, even if I know we both wish we could.” Peter looked over at Rhodey, who nodded in emphatic agreement. 

“Petey, please, baby. Don’t be angry with me. I don’t want to disappoint you too.”

Peter shook his head. “You haven’t. You can’t. I’m not disappointed in you, Tony. Not at all. You’re human. I know that’s hard sometimes for you to remember that. You think unless you’re perfect no one can love you. That you… fuck… you’re so much like me in some ways… you think that every thing that goes wrong is your fault.” Tears started falling. “You blame yourself just as much as I did. Wondered if you’d just been a little better, a little less trouble, a little whatever, that all the bad things wouldn’t have happened.” He stepped closer and gentled his hand down Tony’s shoulder and arm until he held his hand. “It doesn’t work that way. People blame you for whatever eases _ their _pain.”

Tony looked sadly at Peter. “Who hurt _ you _, baby? You’re too young and beautiful and precious to be hurt.” he asked gently.

Peter couldn’t stop the tears but he stopped crying. A subtle distinction. He shrugged. “Life? People? Sometimes people I love who were having their own issues dealing with things? If you don’t think we’re both a little broken, you haven’t done _ your _ homework.” Rhodey loosened his hold around Tony’s waist and let Peter lead him to sit upright on the bed. “It doesn’t matter because… because it just doesn’t. Because when you find someone who loves you, who will be there for you through it all, it _ does _ help. There are people who don’t leave. Who don’t hurt you. Who love you no matter what.”

“Don’t deserve you,” Tony mumbled into Peter’s shoulder.

“Yes you do.” He looked up at Rhodey. “I don’t know who to call since we can’t go to the hospital.”

“I do.” Rhodey looked at Tony. “You wanna go?”

“Not inpatient. She’ll find out.” Tony wiped at his eyes.

“I can work with that. Do you _ want _me to call?”

Tony swallowed hard but nodded.

Rhodey squeezed Tony’s shoulder and leaned down, putting a kiss on the top of his head. He stood and scrolled through his phone. “I know a place a few high profile people in government and the military have been. You spend three days in, then a couple months with a companion and counseling. No one will know.”

“It’s private? Pepper won’t find out?” Tony asked, skeptical.

“Tony, if it’s good enough for one of the Joint Chiefs, I think you’ll be okay.” Peter’s eyes went wide and Rhodey shrugged. “You’d be surprised.”

Tony looked back and forth to them both. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop,” Rhodey said. “You know that doesn’t get you anywhere.” Dejectedly, Tony nodded. “Peter, why don’t you get Tony into some clean clothes. I’ll clean this mess up and get the right people on the phone.”

Peter led Tony into their bedroom, changed him into sweats and a t-shirt. Rhodey met them in the living room, made Tony stand up, and pulled the tie-string out of his pants, letting them fall low on his hips. He tossed it over the sofa. 

The elevator opened and Happy came in. “Car’s ready.” 

Rhodey slipped him a paper with an address on it and Happy nodded. Rhodey and Peter got on either side of Tony in the back seat. When the car drove east, out past Queens and onto Long Island, Peter felt Tony lean over and shudder against him. He kissed the side of Tony’s face and whispered that everything was okay. Rhodey reassured him that they weren’t taking him home, just to the rehab center. 

“You told me you sold Howard’s house, remember?” Rhodey said.

Tony grinned ferally. “Sold _ all _ of his houses, Long Island, California, London, even the Vegas one once the divorce was final.”

Rhodey chucked. “Bet he’s spinin’ over that one. I remember you telling me how he loved those old Vegas guys.”

Tony looked at Peter. “I don’t have places all over the world to take you to anymore. Wait! I do have one. The best one. Next summer, I’ll take you to Naples and we can stay at Nonna’s house. Then maybe we’ll rebuild on Malibu Point. Something we both like.”

Peter smiled. “I used to look at that house in the magazines. It was amazing, but I thought it was cold.”

“I do like modern, but yeah. It wasn’t built to live in. It was built to show off.”

When Happy pulled up to the clinic, Rhodey opened the door. “Kiss your husband, Tony.”

“I’m going in too,” Peter said, reaching for the door handle.

“Nah baby. Wait out here. I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“Yeah? Too bad. I do.”

Rhodey had been about to advise Peter to stay in the car, same as Tony had. But he had to admit that the little spiderling was made of stronger stuff than he appeared.

It was a demeaning process. Being forced to change clothes into a hospital uniform. Being taken into a little room to be searched. 

“Mister Stark,” the nurse asked. “Do you still need that to live?” She pointed to the nanite device. “I’d read you had it taken out.”

“There’s no shrapnel anymore,” Tony admitted.

“Can it be removed?”

Tony nodded. He released the clips holding it in place. He looked down after he handed it to her. The socket was a lot shallower than the older arc reactor had been, but it still left an eerie hole in his chest.

Another nurse came and examined the opening. She bandaged over it. “To keep debris out of it.”

“Probably a good idea,” Tony said. “It could short the connection points out.”

Tony knew the routine well. No one was supposed to care who he was. There was some resentment, some shock that he was there, but it passed after a few hours. He was just another addict. Everyone could sympathize with that since they were in the same boat even if they weren’t Iron Man in their off hours. 

It was different from the long term places he’d been. More aimed at immediate problems and less on the ‘head shrinking’. They talked about what triggered his relapse. About his circle of support. About how he would manage once he left. And while Tony waxed hopeful about appealing the judge’s decision for Morgan, his counselor focused on what Tony would do if he lost again. That was a long, hard, interminable session because the man wouldn’t let Tony leave until he the possibility that losing again was a real option. 

Three days later, Happy drove Peter out to Long Island to pick Tony up.

“Rhodey not here?”

“Not today,” Peter said, kissing Tony hello. They got into the car and headed back to Manhattan. “James thought I should be the one to pick you up.”

Tony laughed. “It’s so weird hearing you call him James. He never tolerated that from anyone else. Not even me. Everyone called him Rhodes. I’m the only one he lets call him Rhodey.”

“He’s the one who told me to call him that.”

“Yeah. It’s just… weird. He nearly decked me when I checked into our dorm room and called him Jimmy.”

Peter laughed. “Oh my god, no thank you. I like my face right where it is. He’s a James not a Jimmy.” Peter paused as they headed into Queens on the freeway. “I met your companion today. He seems nice. He’s in the guest room. They told you the rest?”

“Yeah. I take off in the afternoon for a couple hours to see a therapist. Plus this work with the companion. Everything’s going to be disguised to look normal.”

“I’m seeing someone too,” Peter said quietly. 

“I’m glad. I never thought about how seeing me like that might bring back things for you.”

“It’s okay. It’s kinda good going. I mean, May stopped drinking as soon as she realized what it was doing to me to take care of her after Ben died. But here’s other stuff too. You don’t have to worry about that, okay? You focus on getting better and I’ll focus on… getting better too.” Peter hadn’t thought of himself as needing any help. But with what happened to his parents, then his uncle, then May, then the spider bite and the whole superhero thing, much less getting dusted, the time in the soul realm, then coming back to the middle of a war and watching Tony die, all before he’d turned seventeen. It was a realization when he admitted to Tony that the man wasn’t alone in having things to deal with.

“Happy hired a new shift of personal security, answerable only to your family,” Peter explained. Tony looked confused. “Me, James, and Happy. We’re your family, asshole.”

“I like this new tougher you,” Tony said. “I should’ve let you fuck me sooner.”

“Yeah, well, you were high, so that doesn’t count.”

“And if I wanted to do it again sometime when I’m not high? Would you do it then? I mean, don’t get me wrong, baby, I’m not giving up fucking you anytime soon.”

Peter smiled. “If you’re not high, yeah, I’d like to do it again. But you’re absolutely right you’re not giving up fucking me. I’m kinda in love with you fucking me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony hits bottom with his drug use. He nearly ODs. He gets introspective and this chapter is the reason for the tag "Howard Stark was a homophobic asshole" and abusive (but we knew that.) Rhodey and Peter take him to rehab. Things will start to get better in tomorrows post.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The companion stopped smiling. “How much did it cost when you were high?”
> 
> “Damn near everything. I almost lost Peter. Without him, numbers ticking away on a screen don’t mean anything.”
> 
> “The difference between that statement and the others? That’s why people call you egotistical.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rehab begins happening. Our Mystery Guests appear (though one only by mention.) The light at the end of the tunnel is here.
> 
> Drug use chapters are over, so people not reading those chapters can begin reading again.

“What do you think about adding a workout to your therapy,” Tony’s companion suggested. “In another life I was a personal trainer. Your cook, she made me breakfast this morning. No wonder you’re getting pudgy, old man. That kind of food isn’t good for a man’s heart, even one that hasn’t had surgery on it.”

“Not a bad idea. One time at a party, sitting around with Thor and Cap, Rodgers, the old Cap, they were bragging about who was strongest, who had the best biceps, you know, that kinda shit. JARVIS put up a picture on the screen just of somebody's biceps and they each were like, yeah that’s me, no that’s you, no that’s definitely you.” Tony laughed. “JARVIS said, you’re both wrong. It turned out it was me when I was knocking a hole through the wall with a sledge hammer, wrecking my lab, building that particle accelerator to create the new element. It’d be nice to have that again. It’d be nice to be able to think clearly again, too.”

“You were about ten years younger then, but I think we can get you looking good. The endorphins are helpful in keeping you sober.”

“Last time, I just changed the circle of who I partied with. This time, I don’t even know the guy beyond him being my dealer. Easy to avoid that. After we’re done, go ahead and have… no… I’m going to have to add another floor to the labs. The footprint of this building is microscopic.” Tony shrugged. “I should move fabrication down there anyway. I’ll put in a gym. FRIDAY, order floor 30 converted to fabrication as complete as the one I had in Malibu. Knock off a corner for as much it’ll take for a gym. Order the equipment needed and have someone install it.”

“Yes, boss.”

“What do you do for yourself?” his companion asked.

Tony looked sheepish. “Nothing. Jarvis, our butler,,, oh he was so much more than that,, was always there, then JARVIS, now FRIDAY. Spending time on the mundane stuff is pointless.” The sheepish look was replaced with growing indignation. “I know it’s supposed to be ‘part of the process’, humbling, whatever. But like it or not, I actually earn $76,000 per minute. If I spend twenty minutes cleaning a toilet, it costs me over a million five. Do I think I’m better than someone who cleans a toilet? Not on your life. We need clean toilets. We don’t need another phone whose only difference from the one before it is that it comes in rose gold. Are thirty five million people going to buy that rose gold phone? Yup. Will those thirty five million look down on the person who cleans their toilet. Yup. If I stop making them will rose gold phones disappear? Nope. They’ll just be made by some other company and not Stark.

“What I want is simple. I want my husband. I want my daughter. I’ll happily spend twenty minutes with us as a family cleaning that toilet because I’m spending those minutes with them. But I also want to make sure that when the next Thanos comes knocking, the Avengers have the tech to stop him. I want robots to pull people out of collapsed buildings faster than people can because then those crushed people have a chance to go home to their husband and daughter. Will I make a rose damn gold phone to pay for it? Yup. I build things that’s who I am.

“Maybe I’m not committed and I’m egotistical. What I’m not is someone who wants to pretend that my time isn’t worth more in the lab than it is cleaning a toilet. Okay fine, I’ll grant you that I’m egotistical. Where’s the ego in being able to actually do what I say I can do. Do you need to go back in time because you lost the person you love the most? And you want to push yourself through time rather than pushing time through you and turning into a baby? Funny, four hours in my basement and I gave the Avengers the means to get 50% of the universe back. Clean a toilet? Sure thing. Let’s put the world on hold while I do that.”

“Did you enjoy that speech?” Tony sat down on a chair and grinned.

“Yup.”

“Okay. That took…” His companion looked at his watch. “Seventeen minutes. Not quite twenty. Wanna give me that million three now?”

Tony laughed uproariously.

“That laugh cost you almost $35,000.”

“God, I need someone to follow me around and just do that.”

The companion stopped smiling.

“How much did it cost when you were high?”

“Damn near everything. I almost lost Peter. Without him, numbers ticking away on a screen don’t mean anything.”

“The difference between that statement and the others? That’s why people call you egotistical.”

“Can’t I do both?”

“I sure hope so. I love the fuck outta rose gold.”

After that, Tony and his companion got along fine. There were no trite platitudes, no demand to worship a ‘higher power’. No pity parties over what Pepper had done or what Obie had done or what Howard had done or what anyone else had done to him in the past, including and most especially himself. Everything was kept grounded in the literal now.

Whenever Tony started losing himself to that, or just was generally being an ass, the other man followed him around quoting numbers for every minute lost. Which would’ve been funny, except he kept including ones that said things like, “Peter’s been home for forty minutes. You haven’t been upstairs to see him because you’re in your lab. Was missing that time with Peter worth three million?” and “Clint sent you a picture he took of Morgan between classes three minutes ago. You were busy tearing that nanite glove apart. So you hit reject on your phone. What do you want, to see what your daughter wore to school today or that 230,000?” It also worked the other way. “You spent 35 minutes in your head brooding about that comment you made to me about Pepper. You want two million six or you want 35 minutes in the lab?

Cleaning every toilet on earth would never be as humbling.

If his mornings were easy, his afternoons were another matter. He drove himself to a beautiful building in midtown, one he remembered having its shining glass front destroyed when the Chitauri attacked. People died in that building because the Avengers didn’t take Loki’s army out fast enough. He spent two hours every day in that building being dissected by a MD/PhD psychiatrist who he was told was the best in the business.

Tony had been to therapy before and he found it easy to bullshit his way through. No one in the soft sciences could beat him at brainpower. But this guy… Tony wasn’t sure if he was actually intelligent or just skilled in his narrow field. He was leaning towards smart. But he wondered, if he was that smart, why he was doing psych. Tony asked him as much.

“The puzzle of the human mind fascinates me.” The doctor paused. “How would you describe the cause of your fall from grace?”

Tony hesitated. “Trauma, reinforced. Triggered by the loss of my daughter. A form of what I went through after the Battle of Manhattan, only worse. I know the theory.” He shook his head. “The practical though? It’s weakness. Failure. A lack of character.”

“You do have flaws of the ego, which we will discuss throughout your time here. But Tony Stark is not such a simple puzzle. Nor is Iron Man. They are not, as you testified before Congress, one and the same. You may try your charm, your manipulation as you did there, but I assure you they are games I well know how to play myself, to my own advantage. Why don’t we dispense with them and save ourselves time.”

Tony wanted to be honest with a psychiatrist for the first time in his life. He felt the doctor was, maybe, smart enough. It was exhausting to even know where to begin. All this ‘begin at the beginning’ wasn’t how his mind worked. Without trying to order his thoughts first, he let them spill randomly to the room. Either the guy would keep up, or Tony would finish this out with his usual bullshit. The topics he knew he’d have to go through with the doctor were things he would only think about when he was exceptionally motivated to get blind drunk or high. Facing them sober was a less than pleasant idea.

The doctor didn’t direct the session like had been tried on him before. All those ridiculous questions about Oedipal complexes and assumptions that Tony was just bluffing about being a genius, trying to force him into a false humility, to make him apologize for his intellect. Calling it a ‘gift’, which he rejected outright since a gift implies a giver and he had no faith in any deity, even though he knew a couple of them. Which was the reason he ditched twelve step programs and worked in his own direction. He’d buy his sober pins online, since you didn’t have to prove you were in AA. The way he did eventually worked, he’d kicked his habit and hadn’t gone back to it in decades. He had no reason to doubt it would work again, now that he’d lost his sobriety.

Only, the problems of him handling on his own would still be there in the morning, resurfacing when there was more stress than he could handle. Like flying a nuke through a wormhole. Or losing Peter. Or losing Morgan. Or losing his right side to the glove. If it wasn’t the self-destruction of drugs or drink, it was fucking everything in a skirt and letting himself get married to someone he didn’t love. When one source of hiding the pain stopped, he would find another, determined to keep himself in pain. This time he wasn’t going it alone. He was willing to take help from his companion and from a shrink.

At least this doctor didn’t stare down, scratching at a pad of paper, taking interminable notes while Tony ran through his thoughts as fast as he did. This doctor had it by memory or thought he did. Tony would reserve judgment.

Tony deflected. He wondered if by giving up his flaws, he’d still be a genius. If he could still be him. Without the charm, the mask, the suit of armor he wore around his soul, how much more could he be hurt. He didn’t think he had room to spare in that department. The last hurt nearly destroyed him. Nearly made him throw away the person he broke the laws of physics for.

And maybe he would be able to be honest with himself, but no one wanted to be around _that_ Tony Stark. Rhodey, sure. Rhodey might’ve picked a military path, but at MIT? The man was smart with a capital S. Peter, yes. His boy wasn’t just smart, he was a genius. Could be the next Tony Stark. Anyone else? He already knew the answer. Beyond Rhodey and Peter, none of his other ‘friends’ wanted anything to do with someone who wasn’t Tony Stark, the image. Certainly not the Avengers. Things got difficult and they chose another side. Certainly not the woman who claimed she loved him. Things got difficult and she left.They came back only when they needed him for something or if he’d excised so much of himself that there was almost nothing was left.

Even when he’d been right, when he’d warned people, when he tried to explain. Everyone thought they knew him so well, that he was nothing more than a bloated ego with no proof to back it up. No matter how many times he did just that — back it up with proof. How else to explain the way people had reacted to him after the wormhole? When he tried to tell them what was coming wasn’t a battle they could win? That they needed to prevent rather than Avenge? That maybe 117 countries in the UN couldn’t all be wrong? They were more than happy to take his money, use his tech, but never to listen to him.

He paced around the doctor’s office ranting, and yet the man’s utter calm in the face of his outburst didn’t provoke Tony the way he expected it to. He looked at the doctor with narrowed eyes. “Was I wrong?”

“No.”

“I should be less abrasive, nicer,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “If only I was nice everyone would believe me? If only I pretended to be an idiot like they were?”

“Using another one is no better than the mask you use the other. But certainly those few times you mention are not the only times you’ve felt this way.”

“Was I wrong?” Tony asked again, angrily.

“Were you entirely right?”

Tony sat solidly back down in the chair opposite the doctor. “No.”

“You told me about your husband. How quick you think his mind is. Equal to yours. Does he have these difficulties?”

Tony shook his head. “He can explain things to people. I haven’t the time.”

“Is time a problem?”

“Well, yeah.”

“But Peter, he is your equal?”

“I already said that,” Tony said annoyed that he had to repeat himself.

“Do you have somewhere to be for the next hour and twenty minutes of our two hours together?”

“I’m stuck here, so no.”

“Ah. Well, don’t let me waste your time.” The doctor stood and headed to the door.

“Wait.”

“Why?”

“I have to be here.”

“You need a piece of paper signed.” The doctor went to his desk and signed his name, and held it out to Tony.

“Fine!” Tony grabbed it and walked out the door.

At precisely two o’clock the next day he was back. He lasted a forty five minutes that day. The next, only fifteen. The third, two hours twenty. And so it went. Up, then down. Over ten days though, he’d managed to average exactly two hours per day, by virtue of the doctor’s willingness to stay past his time as long as Tony did.

Sometimes Tony thought nothing productive was said for the entire two hours. Sometimes he sulked and took books from the doctor’s shelf, viciously critiquing them, deliberately misfiling them. Other times Tony never shut up for almost three hours.

“This isn’t working,” Tony pronounced Friday of the second week. “I feel like shit all the time. I haven’t been working. Okay, I’ve been working, but I haven’t created anything worthwhile. I don’t do anything. I haven’t even fucked my extremely beautiful and very fuckable husband.”

That earned him the first smile he’d seen on the man in two weeks. The doctor crooked his head to the side. “Has he complained?”

“No! And he should! I’m damn good in bed.”

“Go home and fuck him then.” The word sounded crude on the man’s lips.

Before Tony left, the doctor stopped him.

“Perhaps you and your husband could come to dinner with me and my husband. I believe a social component would be advantageous to our work here. Next Saturday?”

Tony agreed. In ten sessions, he hadn’t learned anything about the doctor he let into his head. Certainly not that he was in a relationship with another man. It shouldn’t matter, but it did. Things that he’d been avoiding — like talking about his past much beyond when he became Iron Man, certainly not about any encounters with men other than Peter — seemed possible to speak with that knowledge. And getting to know him outside of therapy, would make things more balanced. Balanced meant more trust. He would learn things about the man he was allowing to learn things about him. It seemed a fairer exchange than his previous therapy attempts.

Tony left the office to the early dark of a late winter afternoon. He told Happy that he needed a walk to clear his head before going home. He knew that Happy would follow him, but he was used to security being there most of the time. It was easy to pretend that’s all it was and not that he was being kept under a watchful eye for other reasons.

Central Park was almost empty and cold. The trees were bare and there was snow over patches of brown grass. Tony never minded the winter. He missed it when he lived in California. Though the endless summers were nice too.

He wanted to rebuild in Malibu. He did need to in order to keep the grandfathered in right to build on what was now public land. But he wanted to rebuild anyway. It would take awhile, but starting soon would give time for Peter to be out of school. They could fly there whenever they wanted. There was the new Stark Tower to build as well. He’d hire a construction manager in each case to be hands on so he could keep his lab time. He’d only do the arc reactor installations.

There would be no one doing twelve percent of the new tower. Which meant no one to manipulate him into selling it. It would belong to his company, under his name. The Malibu house though, he would work on with Peter. It would be theirs equally from the very beginning.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t mind a little spoiling. I kinda like it. Makes me feel like Cinderella and you’re my prince.”
> 
> Tony chuckled. “So that made you my princess when you married me.”
> 
> “I wouldn’t mind dressing up like one for you.” Peter ducked his head and blushed.
> 
> Tony groaned and clutched at his chest. “You’re going to give an old man a heart attack. Now I’m going to be thinking of that all night. You’re going to have to go shopping.”
> 
> “Ooh. Did I just find one of your kinks?”
> 
> “You in lace? Try it and find out what happens to this ass of yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're at the end of the road, since I'm posting the last two chapters today. To those who have stuck with me on this story I thought would never find an audience at all, thank you.

He finally got home to Peter, several hours late. He held him close, kissing him lightly on the lips. “I’m sorry,” Tony said.

“Happy called, so I wasn’t expecting you.”

Tony eased back and looked more directly at Peter. “No, Petey. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” Peter took the apology in the way it was meant. He held Tony in return and they stayed like together for a long time. “We’re moving forward. Let’s start with dinner. There’s a new place downtown that I read about yesterday. I’m letting you spoil me so you can get us in.”

“Absolutely. See, I told you you wouldn’t hold out long before you let me turn you into my sugar baby,” Tony said grinning.

“They’ve already called me that, so why not? If I’m a golddigger, I might as well enjoy the perks.” Peter smiled. 

This was nice. Being playful again. Tony wasn’t forcing fake cheer on himself. His smile crinkled his eyes all the way down to his upturned lips. The terrible things that were said in court lost a bit of their power as they teased with them. Away from where they were flung as accusations, they seemed ridiculous. Literally laughable. And maybe the two of them would be okay again.

James told Peter that Tony’s process looked different than it did on Made For TV movies. He didn’t do well with the formal twelve steps. Some of them he used, some he didn’t. Being friends with a literal god would put a damper on the ‘higher power’ thing now. Not that Tony ever was a believer, by the time he went through confirmation he’d already rejected his faith. Tony had to find strength in himself and in the people who loved him. But that wouldn’t be enough unless Tony wanted to “pull his head out of his ass.”

It was unconventional, but what about Tony wasn’t? He always had to do things in the most difficult manner for himself, otherwise he didn’t think it worth his while. Things not struggled for were things not deserved. But this time he wasn’t trying to go it alone. He hadn’t missed a day of therapy. He hadn’t missed a workout. He was eating better, though sleep was still hard. But when hadn’t it been? Even when he was stone cold sober, Tony had a hard time sleeping when he’d rather be working. But unlike what he told Peter about his post-wormhole problems, he wasn’t staying up for two or three whole days straight. Every night he came to bed. Sometimes late, sometimes early, but every night.

Nothing happened on those nights, not even when Tony came up from the lab early, but they both needed some time. Some nights Tony was averse to touch, more nights he wasn’t, so long as that touch was kept only affectionate. Peter figured it had something to do with the things he and the therapist had discussed that day. But he had almost lost Tony again so every night spent in the same bed was worth it. Peter would be lying if he didn't admit that he missed seeing Tony’s genuine smile. But it came back that night. However unconventionally Tony was determined to make it work, the therapy seemed to be helping.

“Are you going to take me to that place for dinner? The article said it was the best in New York. But the pictures,” Peter laughed. “I dunno. It looked like two spoonfuls of food on a giant plate with a squiggle of ketchup or something on it.”

“Oh god. Rich people food.”

“Tony, you are rich people.”

“Sure, but I told you, the only thing being rich is good for is so I can buy the things I need in the lab. So that I can buy things like the Shelby or support a Formula 1 team. So I can rebuild in Malibu and get SI out of our building here. To give things to the Avengers and so we have the funding to rebuild the shit we break. Eat that kind of food? I hate it,” Tony said. “The only time I eat that shit is when I’m trying to impress someone or when there’s a formal dinner I get dragged to. I’d rather just go to the diner down the block and get a cheeseburger."

“I love _ you _ so much. I fell in love with the guy who’d rather go to a greasy spoon diner than to a fancy restaurant to impress me. There are so many nicer places to eat where it's,” Peter shrugged his shoulders, “human food.”

“I do like spoiling you, but the person _ I _fell in love with was that kid from Queens.

“I don’t mind a little spoiling. I kinda like it. Makes me feel like Cinderella and you’re my prince.”

Tony chuckled. “So that made you my princess when you married me.”

“I wouldn’t mind dressing up like one for you.” Peter ducked his head and blushed.

Tony groaned and clutched at his chest. “You’re going to give an old man a heart attack. Now I’m going to be thinking of that all night. You’re going to have to go shopping.”

“Ooh. Did I just find one of your kinks?”

“You in lace? Try it and find out what happens to this ass of yours.”

“I don’t have anything like that yet. Will that still make us late to dinner?”

“_ You’re _ my kink. Dinner can wait til later. My appetite has suddenly changed.”

“God you’re so cheesy.”

“I have doctor’s orders for this,” Tony said, reaching down with both hands and squeezing Peter’s ass. 

“That’s an interesting order.”

“I certainly thought so. I wanna have you stretch out on that big bed of ours where I can see every last bit of you. I’m gonna climb on top of you, and fuck you until you can’t even manage to scream my name. That cheesy enough for you?”

Peter shuddered in Tony’s arms. “Uh… yeah,” he said breathlessly.

“Only I’m not going to come inside of you no matter how much I want to. Because you’re an absolutely gorgeous young thing with a refractory period I can only dream of. And your strength takes my breath away, I’m going to roll over onto my stomach and you’re gonna fuck the come right out of me.”

“Shit,” Peter licked his lips and went weak in the knees, but Tony was there to hold him up.

Clothes went flying and Peter climbed into the exact center of the outrageous bed that was in the middle of their room. Despite having spent the last several months getting fucked by Tony, he could still be shy. He stretched himself out flat on his back and felt the blush rise as Tony raked his eyes slowly up and down his body.

“That’s it. I waited five years to have you. Now, I want to see what’s mine.” 

Peter whimpered and his hips couldn’t stay still when Tony spoke to him like that. 

“Put your arms above your head. Open your legs baby boy. Show me everything.” Peter did then buried his face against his arm. “That won’t do,” Tony said. “Look at me baby.”

Peter did his own long take over Tony’s body as the man knelt upright between his legs. He might’ve softened with semi-retirement from being Iron Man, and there were issues still between them that couldn’t be set aside with one night of making love, but there was nothing that looked better than Tony, right there, looking down at him with undisguised desire, his cock hard and jutting from his body. The glow of the nanite arc reactor in his chest and his functional arm in his signature colors, simply completed his perfection. Peter breathed out heavily. “God Tony. I need you so much it’s scary.”

Tony bent over Peter. “You’ve got me, baby.” He kissed him as he lowered himself, elbows propped on the bed, their bodies touching, their erections brushing against each other. “I wanna fuck you into next week.”

Peter laughed, “I’ll miss my classes.”

“Don’t care.” Tony reached for the lube and opened Peter with his fingers, slowly, taking his time and enjoying the process. Especially watching Peter’s reactions. He wouldn’t ever get enough of watching his boy come apart with even the smallest stimulation. The spider senses made him so responsive, even if a fine line had to be walked between just enough and too much. Learning Peter was fun.

Having gone without sex for nearly a month, Peter needed a bit more prep than usual. Tony covered two fingers in lube and slid them into the boy one at a time, then he spread them and twisted his hand to make the stretch better. And he was using his prosthetic hand. Peter moaned loudly when he saw how Tony was going to touch him, when those two Fitz-built fingers made their way into him. It was hot for someone who had a crush on Iron Man since he was a kid. Yet it was Tony who was doing it, not some superhero. Sure, he still had an armor kink, but the real kink he had was for Tony. Just Tony. 

“Oh that feels so good. You gonna fuck me? You always know what I need. God Tony, I’ve missed you. I want you so much. Please fuck me.”

“Of course I will baby. Doctor’s orders,” he said grinning. “And those were the best orders ever, because I missed you too. And I want to fuck you just as bad as you want me to.” Tony stroked himself, spreading lube over his cock. He drizzled a streak of it near his fingers and pushed it up into Peter with them. He leaned forward and rubbed the head of his cock along Peter’s ass, eventually catching Peter’s rim just below his spread fingers. When he heard Peter moan in frustration, Tony slid his fingers out and at the same time slid his cock in.

“Tony,” Peter stretched his name out on his moan. “Oh god yes.”

He gently rocked in and out of the boy, each time a little deeper, until slowly he bottomed out. “Petey, baby, you’re…” Tony made his own moan, louder, not trying to hide his reaction. “You’re fucking perfect. When I’m inside of you… the way we fit together…” Tony began to move more, setting up a slow rhythm. He was starting out more like making love. The fucking would come later, because once he got going, they both loved a good, hard fuck. 

Tony kissed Peter, long and sensually. When the tone of his moan turned into a whimper, he broke the kiss and moved to kiss Peter’s neck, his collarbone, that spot behind his ear, down his neck to his shoulders. As he was thoroughly kissing the boy, he began thrusting harder, making his strokes longer and deeper. He bit a spot on Peter’s neck and sucked a bruise into it. It would be well above the collar of his shirt. Where everyone could see it. Tony groaned and began slamming into Peter harder. He worried at a higher spot on Peter’s neck but didn’t bruise him there. Not yet. “Are you still mine, baby?”

“Always yours Tony. Forever.”

Tony kissed down Peter’s chest, down over to his nipple, teasing it with his tongue. He dragged his tongue across the boy’s chest until he reached his other nipple and gave it the same attention as the first. He had to arch away as he moved down, leaving a trail of kisses down the center of Peter’s stomach until he was away from the boy’s body, kneeling between his legs. His hands caressed down Peter’s sides until Tony reached his hips and he grabbed them, pulling the boy closer. He bowed the boy’s body, tilting his hips up, exposing his ass better. Peter hooked his legs around Tony’s waist, dropping them just above his ass and pulled him in.

“Oh Peter. You want me bad, don’t you? Don’t worry. You have me.” Tony changed the angle he was at so he could scrape across the boy’s prostate, giving him enough that he started those high pitched screams that Tony loved. Peter letting himself go was the most beautiful thing in the world. Risk losing that? Never again. No matter what it took.

“I dreamed of this, dreamed of you. Just like this. You’re beautiful for me. Oh listen to you… does that feel good?” Tony drew back slowly, but pushed in fast, hard and deep. He rubbed his hand along Peter’s cock. Not jerking him off exactly, just giving him one more bit of stimulation. His boy tried to push up into his hand.

Tony took his hand away and Peter whimpered and whined. “Oh please!” he begged for the touch again. 

“Unh unh baby boy. You know we both like it better when you come a different way.”

“But it felt so good. Please?”

Tony angled himself so that he was fucking up into Peter rather than down. Because when he was aiming up, he was able to hit the boy’s prostate. It was more direct. He kept his thrusts shallow so that he was doing more than just scraping along it, he was hitting it almost every time, running the head of his cock against it, letting the ridge drag across it, using his cock like he might use his fingers, for direct stimulation.

Peter keened. It was a beautiful sound, high and loud, drawn out into a senseless babbling of Tony’s name and pleading for more. When the boy was near, when Peter truly lost the ability to add any words at all to his moaning, Tony eased off the direct stimulation and fucked into his boy wildly, pounding him deep and fast.

Peter’s legs stiffened, the muscles of his thighs cording tightly. He was so close but couldn’t quite fall over.

“Come for me baby. I want to see you make a mess yourself. I want to know that I’m the reason for it. You’re gonna give that beautiful body of yours to me.”

Tony’s voice was all Peter needed. He cried out as his cock arched up and his come spurted out hot across his stomach and chest, spattering onto his face. Tony slowed down, fucking gently, softly, easing the boy through his orgasm. When Peter’s cries settled into pants, low and heavy, whimpering because even as gentle as Tony was being, it was almost too much. Tony pulled out, still hard, and lay down beside Peter.

“You always look so gorgeous when you’re a fucked out mess.” He kissed Peter’s come streaked face, licking it, tasting the boy until he brought their lips together. Peter’s breath hitched as he tasted himself on Tony’s deepening kiss.

Tony got up and briefly went into the bathroom, coming back with a warm damp washcloth. He crawled back into bed and cleaned Peter off. “Can’t have you a sticky mess when you get ready for the second act.”

Peter turned towards the man. “It’s gonna take a bit even for me.”

He tossed the cloth off the bed and chuckled low in his chest. “That’s okay baby.” He took Peter’s hand and placed it on his cock. “Slowly, just keep me ready for you. Your hand feels good. Ah… slower Petey… I don’t want to come until you’re inside me.”

Peter slowed his stroke along Tony’s cock, this time avoiding any contact with the head, just holding the shaft in his hand. “Are you sure you want to? I mean, like you are?”

“Oh baby, I’m more than sure. I’m gonna give you a couple minutes to calm those wonderful senses of yours, then I’m gonna put your cock in my mouth so I can feel you getting hard for me. But… are you sure _ you _ want to do it?”

“Absolutely yes. It was great. Until I found out what had happened. But in the moment… Yeah. I definitely want to add that to what we do. Sometimes, y’know. Not all the time. But yeah. I mean, I know now… and I shouldn’t find you this… but you were beautiful.”

“No, I understand. You didn’t know that I was high and I shouldn’t have manipulated you like that. But now you know why you blow my mind, kid. Only you actually are beautiful, not some dirty old man lying in bed in front of you, floating on H, making a too young boy fuck him with an absolutely gorgeous cock.”

“You’re not old and I’m not too young. We’re just the right age for each other. Yeah, I wish you weren’t high that night, that you were actually present with me. But now? It’s just you here. We’re gonna be good together.”

“God baby, I hope you’re right.”

“I know I am.” Peter rolled on his side so he could kiss Tony. “I can’t imagine myself with anyone but you.” He rubbed his soft cock against Tony’s hard one. He circled his hand around them both.

“Unh unh. I told you how I want you to get hard again.” Tony smiled and shifted in the bed, orthogonal to Peter. It was okay that Peter couldn’t reach his cock with his hand. If he felt himself going down, he’d take care of that for himself. That is if sucking Peter didn’t do the trick all on its own.

Stretched out, Tony licked a wet stripe down the shaft of Peter’s cock until he got to the head, where he teased with his tongue until he felt Peter twitch against it. Then he took the head of the boy’s cock into his mouth. He’d been meaning to tease, but he wanted more.

Soft, Peter just filled his mouth. He sucked, running his lips down his shaft, each time feeling Peter heavier on his tongue. Feeling him push against the back of his mouth, Tony sucked harder, hollowing his cheeks as he moved his mouth up and down Peter’s shaft, teasing with his tongue when he came off to the head of the boy’s cock. When he swallowed again, Peter pushed into his throat. Not far yet, the boy still wasn’t quite fully hard. But with each time Tony sucked, the boy grew harder, until at last, Peter pushed all the way down Tony’s throat.

Peter was groaning while Tony sucked on him, and when he felt himself go all the way down, he reached down and tangled his fingers into Tony’s thick salt and pepper hair, pushing his head down, not letting him come back up again, feeling him swallow around him. Then Peter released his grip, allowing Tony to come up just far enough to breathe. Peter grabbed a fistful of Tony’s hair again and roughly pushed the man back down until his nose was buried in Peter’s curls.

“Yes, Tony,” Peter breathed out heavily, his voice thick with desire. “God yes. Oh fuck!” He pulled Tony’s head back and entirely off him. “That’s not where you wanted me to come, is it?”

Tony looked up at the boy, his eyes hooded, his breath catching. “No Petey, it’s not. I want you to come in my ass. I want you to be the only person to do that. You gonna fuck me, baby boy?”

Peter chuckled softly. “Do you remember when I told you that you were a bossy bottom?”

Tony smiled. “Yeah. Do you remember when I told you that no matter which position I was in, I was always running the fuck? Even when you’re fucking me, when you’re choking me on your cock, don’t you ever forget who you belong to, Petey. Now c’mon. Just a little lube like last time. Not too much. I wanna feel you. God do I ever want to feel you.” He rolled over onto his stomach, spreading his legs, arching his back just a little to push his ass up. 

Peter moaned as he stroked himself, coating his cock with lube. “I’m gonna give it to you just the way you said you want it. You tell me if it’s too much, okay?” Peter leaned forward, letting his cock tease at Tony’s hole, pressing it in slow circles around his rim.

Tony sucked in a sharp breath and pushed his ass back. “Fuck Peter, god that feels… More.” It was hard for Tony not to beg, so he closed his mouth to bite back those words.

“Were you gonna say something else?” Peter asked, teasing again and this time pushing just a tiny bit in, just enough to spread Tony about a finger’s width open.

Tony sucked his lips in, biting them shut, not willing to say it.

Peter pulled away from pressing into him and just rubbed himself along Tony’s opening.

Tony’s breath caught again. “Please? Please. I want you inside me.”

Peter pushed in again a little bit. Tony’s hand flew back and gripped Peter’s hip, pulling on it.

“In me baby. All at once. I wanna feel you. Wanna stretch around that cock of yours. Oh baby…” It was still hard for him to say the next word. “Please.” 

This time, Peter didn’t second guess himself. He didn’t worry if he would hurt him. Tony was asking for it and he was going to give him what he wanted. He stopped teasing and wrapped his arm low around Tony’s stomach. He pulled the man back onto him while thrusting in hard, not stopping until he was buried all the way deep inside him. 

Tony shuddered, loosened, then clenched around Peter. “Oh god baby. Yes.” He reached under himself. He took hold of his cock and stroked a few times to get fully hard again after the pain and stretch of Peter’s entry. “Fuck baby. Fuck me now. Don’t want it slow. Want it hard.”

“All right, Tony.” Peter pulled Tony up onto his hands and knees. He grabbed the man’s hips in both hands. He pulled Tony back until he was against him. He began fucking hard, going deep each time, but pulling Tony back to meet his thrusts. 

Tony’s free hand reached up and grabbed a fistful of sheet, his other hand, the red one, was around his cock trying to keep up with Peter’s thrusts. The synthskin/metal combination grew dry and Tony reached his hand back, cupped upwards. Peter held himself in deep while he squirted a dollop of lube into Tony’s hand. “Don’t make yourself come until I’m ready to. I wanna feel what it’s like to be inside you when you do.”

Tony groaned at the thought. “Okay baby,” he said as he smoothed the lube over his cock, coating it using his prosthetic hand. “If you want me to wait, then start fucking me like you mean it. Don’t know how long I’m gonna last.”

“You’re gonna last as long as I need you to.”

Tony ground his hips against Peter the next time he thrust in. “Oh baby. Fuck you’re good. C’mon. I’m not gonna break.”

“Yeah? I gotta hold myself back or you will. I got hit by a damn train. You think I couldn’t crush your bones if I really did let myself go?”

“Fuck…” Tony groaned at the thought. “If you keep fucking me like that… oh baby… I wouldn’t even mind.”

Peter laughed and quickened his pace. “Oh now I know what you like. A big cock and someone strong, huh? Able to _ make _you take it.” Peter’s words were ragged, broken on the panting breaths he was taking. Tony was so hot and tight around him.

Tony shuddered out his breath. “Yeah. I Can’t… Fuck!” His shuddering breath almost turned into a sob. “Make me. _ Can’t _ want it.”

Peter kept fucking, though it was hard, seeing tears in the corners of Tony’s eyes. “Oh baby.” It would sound odd at any other time to call Tony by a pet name. “Baby, yes you can. With me you can. You want me? I’m yours. You can want me, even like this.” He thrust in a few more times, just as deeply but slower. “Tell me what you want.”

Tony swallowed hard, his back tensing. “I want you to fuck me. Want you inside. Please Petey.” Any of that ‘running the fuck’ tone left him. “I… oh god… I _ want _you to fuck me.”

“Oh Tony. I’m gonna take care of you.” Peter began fucking hard and fast again, smacking his hips into Tony’s ass. He grabbed the flesh, making it dimple under his fingertips, careful about how much strength he used. Just enough to bruise. To remind Tony what happened tonight. He forced panting, gasping breaths out of Tony each time he slammed in deep. 

Tony’s hand was tight around his cock, making a fist for him to push into when Peter thrust so hard he moved him. It wasn’t long before he was leaking precome onto the sheet. “Oh Petey. You’re gonna make me come.”

“When… you start… don’t touch… want… you… with me.”

It was only a few more strokes before Tony let go of his cock, stretching his arm out so Peter could see. He began to spurt on the sheets, on his stomach. Peter wasn’t as good with his aim, but he tried to feel with his cock for the spot. Inexpertly, he began to drag himself over it. Tony groaned and his cock twitched, more come shooting out until he was empty. “Oh Peter,” he sighed. “Baby. Come inside me. I want it so bad. Wanna know what it really feels like. Oh baby yes,” Tony cried out when he felt Peter’s cock pulse deep inside him, feeling the warmth spilling inside, filling him, totally bare, nothing between them. 

It was hard to push aside the feeling that doing that was death, given the era he’d lived through. But it wasn’t with Peter, who had never been with anyone else and it wasn’t with Tony, who was checked often given how much he screwed around, even though it was mostly with women, he knew he was negative. 

“Tony… you’re… beautiful,” Peter said, his words broken as the last of his orgasm went through him. He bent over Tony’s back, kissing him between his shoulder blades, tasting the sweat on his skin. He kissed him again, moving farther up his back, letting himself fall out of the man so he could reach higher with his kisses until he was kissing the back of Tony’s neck. “I love you so much,” he whispered softly in Tony’s ear. He kissed along the side of his face, feeling the light traces of scar lines with his lips. Peter slipped himself further up Tony until he could kiss the corner of the man’s mouth.

Tony turned slightly so he could reach Peter’s lips to give him a kiss. They rolled together over to the dry side of the bed. Tony wrapped his arms around the boy as they lay face to face so Tony could give Peter a proper kiss. “It’s… god Petey…" he said between kisses. “So good… better… Nobody but you has ever come inside me. And nobody but you has fucked me when I wasn’t drunk or high. Not since I was a kid.” Tony shuddered when he breathed in. “Baby…” 

He pulled Peter into a tight hug, burying his face in the boy’s neck. He shuddered again. Sucked his lips, biting them closed. Tensed his body. Fought it with everything he had. But it came anyway. Peter felt tears on his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” Tony said. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to…” He breathed in deeply and swallowed back the tears. “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s all right Tony.” Peter kissed his shoulder. “It’s okay with me. You’re safe with me.”

“I’m supposed to say that to you,” Tony whispered into Peter’s neck.

“You do. Often. And I know it. I know it’s true. But Tony, sometimes it’s right this way too. I’ll never let anything happen to you. I love you, okay?”

Tony paused. “Yeah.” He pulled back and gave Peter another kiss. “Yeah,” he said again, with more conviction. He ran his hands through Peter’s hair. He pressed his lips softly on Peter’s and whispered, “Yeah.”

Monday afternoon he had a lot to talk about. Twice his therapist had to hand him tissues. He hated that he was becoming an easy cryer. But it was okay. Where else was it safe, where there was no judgment, other than with his husband or his therapist. The man stayed well past Tony’s two hours. He listened, genuinely listened unlike the ones he’d had before, as Tony let him in. He finally told someone, for the first time, what happened to him, last night and the night, with its aftermath, so long ago.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before getting out of the car, Peter had to adjust Tony’s tie again. He seemed to always end up wearing the things as more of a necklace than in the proper way. It was an endearing habit, but not suitable for court. Today they both had to look perfect and be on their best behavior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This last one is a short one. Just to finish out the story.

Peter helped Tony tie his tie. The man’s fingers kept fumbling. As he wrapped the silk around itself, he said, “It’s going to be okay. Jeri’s genuinely confident this time. She proved Morgan is living in Tribeca, since last year she’s been going to school here.”

“Clint did his superspy thing and said they moved her on a STEM track this month when she started first grade. It didn’t matter that Pepper kept me away. Morgan has my last name. They know what she could be capable of,” Tony said. “Funny how the school was eager to get a new science building and athletic field. Pep’s junior partner gig at Star Alliance can’t compete with Stark Industries. But I haven’t violated the terms of that upstate judge. It’s not illegal for me to support education, even if I did have to pick five other schools to donate to so it wouldn’t look like I was involved in Morgan’s life.”

Peter leaned up and kissed Tony’s cheek. “Tie’s tied. Now leave it alone. You look fabulous.”

“And you look edible.” Tony’s kiss was hot and full of promises.

Peter moaned. “I can’t walk into court with a boner.”

“I can always take care of that in the car. You know traffic’s hell at this time of day.” Tony ghosted kisses along Peter’s jawline until he sucked the boy’s earlobe into his mouth.

“Oh god Tony, stop. Yeah, you could take care of me in the car, but I also can’t walk into court looking like you just made me come.”

“Mmm. But you look so pretty like that.”

“You’re awful.”

Tony grinned at Peter’s reflection in the mirror. “Yep.”

“Car’s pulled up to the front, boss,” FRIDAY said. “Traffic indicates a trip time of one hour and fifty three minutes.”

“Let’s not keep Happy waiting.” Peter gave Tony’s hand a squeeze. “Whatever happens, we’re going to be all right.”

Tony nodded. If they won, everything would be all right. If they lost… it would be rough. But eventually Morgan would turn eighteen and Pepper’s hold on her would be gone. It would suck for him to be out of her entire childhood and adolescence, but he would reunite with her then. Hopefully she’d remember him and forgive his absence. That was a worry for another day, and only if they lost. But either way, he still had Peter. He had his life. Things would be hard, but okay.

Before getting out of the car, Peter had to adjust Tony’s tie again. He seemed to always end up wearing the things as more of a necklace than in the proper way. It was an endearing habit, but not suitable for court. Today they both had to look perfect and be on their best behavior.

“It’ll be okay,” Peter reminded Tony again. The court had ordered two more home inspections a month ago. Jeri’s contacts in New York county’s family court told her that this time they were both positive, the way it should’ve been before. And though it was only spoken of on secure lines with the conversations erased after, he’d been assured that all the proper wheels had been greased. Was it fair that Tony had the means to do so? No. But then after what happened upstate, Tony wasn’t about to play fair. If he wanted fair, he wouldn’t have hired Hogarth and Associates.

After a very short hearing, at the end of which the judge gave Pepper a lecture on the necessity of fathers. Especially one who had proven himself so devoted to his child. Joint custody was decided at a 50-50 rate instead of the typical ‘weekends only’ decision most fathers got. Everything Tony asked for was received. Of course the mayor had a couple of nice fat campaign donations on the promise he’d reappoint the judge to his next term.

Pepper reluctantly released Morgan’s hand. Tony went to her and crouched down to her level. After almost two years since he’d last seen her, she was hesitant. It seemed like she didn’t believe what was happening. But Tony stayed there, waiting until she’d decided it was real, then Morgan ran into his arms. 

“You’re coming home with me today. It’s almost the end of the month, so we won’t have as many days this time, but from now on you’ll spend half your time with me and Peter, and half your time with your mom. Do you understand that?”

“Will I still go to the same school?”

“Yes. Do you like that school?” Tony asked.

“I didn’t like kindergarten. It was boring because I already know how to read. But my class this year is so different. I love it.”

“Is it okay if I pick you up or are you too big to be held by me now?”

Morgan grinned and jumped up as Tony rose. “Peter! Will you be my babysitter again?”

“No.” Morgan frowned. “I’m your step-father,” Peter explained

“What’s that?”

“It’s like a second dad. But your dad always comes first.”

Morgan rested her head on Tony’s shoulder. “I’ll bring her back after dinner on the thirty first,” he told Pepper.

Her expression was pinched and all she did was nod.

“You can call your mom on the phone whenever you want when you’re with me and Peter.” 

“The car’s outside in the waiting zone,” Happy said, having come back into the courtroom. “Better hurry or we’ll be towed.”

Tony laughed. “Like STARK3 is going to be towed.”

Pepper looked apoplectic at how easily Tony was able to throw his weight around. She suspected something was fishy in the appeal decision, but there was nothing she could do.

“Let’s go.” Tony carried Morgan out to the car.

Once they were situated in the back seat Peter said, “Your room is just like it was before.”

She looked at Tony, frowned and cocked her head to the side. “Is  _ your  _ garage locked?”

“No little miss. Neither is the lab,” Tony said. “We just put some of the dangerous things in special cabinets. Peter has a lot of chemicals at his workstation. Those went behind locks. But if you ask him, I’m sure he’ll show you what they do. Do you want a workstation of your own? One where FRIDAY, DUM-E, and me can help you with your school projects?”

“Yes!” Morgan leaned over and gave Tony a hug. “I missed you so much.”

Tony’s eyes were glistening with held back tears. Peter reached across Morgan’s lap and held out his hand out. Both Tony and Morgan put theirs in his. “We’re a family,” Peter said. “This is going to be so much fun.”

“You might not think so when she climbs into our bed.”

“It’s a big bed, Tony. There’ll be room.”

**Author's Note:**

> My Starker blog on tumblr is [starker-stories](https://starker-stories.tumblr.com/).  
Come on by and visit.


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